CDU and CSU want to nominate Bavarian state parliament president Ilse Aigner as a candidate for the office of Federal President. This was reported, among others, by ARD-Hauptstadtstudio, Tagesschau and ZDF, citing Union sources. The formal decision by the CDU’s executive committee and national board is expected to be made in the coming days. The Federal Convention is scheduled for 30 January 2027; Steinmeier’s second term of office ends then. Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
With Aigner, the reports say, the Union is opting for a figure with cross-party appeal. CDU leader and Chancellor Friedrich Merz had previously stressed the CDU’s right to put forward a candidate. Within the SPD some state politicians and MPs expressed support for Aigner, while the Greens indicated they were open to her candidacy. The Left criticised a proposal backed exclusively by the Union. The AfD announced it would put forward its own candidate. No rival candidacy has yet been confirmed.
Born in 1965, Aigner has been president of the Bavarian state parliament since 2018. She previously served in the Bavarian state parliament and, from 1998 to 2013, in the German Bundestag. From 2008 to 2013, she was Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection in Angela Merkel’s cabinet. Within the CSU, Aigner is regarded as an experienced state politician with a national profile. She began her career with training as a systems electrician.
If the committees make the decisions as expected, Aigner would become the first woman to run for the country’s highest office. Whether she could be elected in the first round depends on the final composition of the Federal Assembly and voting beyond the Union. As things stand, there is no formal agreement between the Union and the SPD on a joint approach; any statements about majorities are therefore political assessments, not firm commitments.
Three points therefore remain open for now: formal nomination by the CDU committees, whether any rival candidates come forward, and the extent to which the SPD and Greens commit themselves in advance. Regardless, Steinmeier’s second term will end as scheduled, and the Federal Assembly will meet on 30 January 2027. He will enter Schloss Bellevue only after the election and swearing-in. This report is based on consistent media reports published between 6 and 9 November 2026.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).