History of the Soviet Union (1964–82) Soviet Union "would result in a crushing retaliatory blow". Though Brezhnev's time in office would later be characterized as one of stability, early on, Brezhnev oversaw the replacement of half of the regional leaders and Politburo members. This was a typical move for a Soviet leader trying to strengthen his power base. Examples of Politburo members who lost their membership during the Brezhnev Era are Gennady Voronov, Dmitry Polyansky, Alexander Shelepin, Petro Shelest and Podgorny. Polyansky and Voronov lost their membership in the Politburo because they were considered to be members of the "Kosygin faction." In their place came Andrei
Leader of the Christian Democratic Union Leader of the Christian Democratic Union The Leader of the Christian Democratic Union ("Vorsitzender der Christlich Demokratischen Union") is the most senior political figure within the Christian Democratic Union of Germany. Since 7 December 2018, the office has been held by Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer who is the second female leader of the party, following her immediate predecessor Angela Merkel. The Leader of the Christian Democratic Union Party is supported by a General Secretary who, since 2018, has been Paul Ziemiak. Furthermore, the leader is supported by five deputy leaders: these currently are Ursula von der Leyen, Volker Bouffier, Julia Klöckner, Armin