CDU and CSU according to information from ARD’s Berlin studio Ilse Aigner as their joint nominee for the office of Federal President. The nomination is to be formally approved by the Union parties’ bodies; the election by the Federal Convention is scheduled for will be elected on 30 January 2027 .
Frank-Walter Steinmeier will leave office after ten years, with his term ending before the election.\n\nThe Union parties’ possible nominee has won broad support among the major parliamentary groups: alongside voices from the CDU and CSU, representatives of SPD and the Greens indicated their willingness to support Aigner, meaning she is expected to secure a majority in the Federal Convention. The Union and SPD together hold a majority there of around 50 seats over the other parties. The AfD announced that it intends to put forward its own candidate; given the balance of power, this is considered a hopeless cause.\n\nThe decision comes against the backdrop of an ongoing debate about having the first female Federal President in the history of the Federal Republic.
Several leading Union politicians, including the CDU leader and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, had argued in recent weeks that the next head of state should be a woman. Markus Söder had already publicly supported Aigner; according to observers, his advocacy prevailed in internal discussions.\n\nIlse Aigner, 61, and President of the Bavarian Landtag since 2018, would be the first woman to head the state after twelve men. In government and parliament, the Union highlighted her cross-party standing and her experience in federal and state politics.
Aigner herself has overcome health setbacks in her life and is regarded as a down-to-earth representative.\n\nThe consequences of this candidacy would be primarily symbolic and parliamentary: a female Federal President would send a historic signal and could give the role of head of state particular public prominence at a time of political fragmentation. At the same time, it remains to be seen whether the Union can formally agree on the announced involvement of other parties and whether unexpected opposition emerges within the presidium or state branches.\n\nFacts and attributed statements are based on reports by ARD’s Berlin studio and research by public-service news websites; predictions have been identified as such. The Union’s formal nomination should be dated and documented when the presidium’s decisions are announced.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).