Meretz's support enhances Aigner's chances of becoming the first woman from her party to assume the German presidency

The German Chancellor and head of the Christian Democratic Party, Friedrich Merz, officially announced that today, Monday (November 9, 2026), he will propose to the party’s senior leadership bodies the name of the Speaker of the Bavarian State Parliament, Ilse Aigner, as a candidate for the federal presidential elections scheduled for next January 30.

Meretz's announcement came during a dinner held with the leadership of the Christian Party in Berlin, according to what the German News Agency (DPA) learned from sources within the party.

It is noteworthy that Aigner (61 years old) belongs to the Bavarian Christian Social Party, which along with its older brother, the Christian Meretz Party, forms what is known as the Christian Union, and is the largest partner in the ruling coalition in Germany.

If elected, Aigner will not only be the first woman to hold the highest political office in Germany, but she will also be the first politician from the Bavarian Christian Party to hold this position. The Christian Union and the Social Democratic Party (partner in the ruling coalition) enjoy a majority exceeding the limit required to elect the federal president within the Federal Assembly by about fifty votes. This association consists of 630 members of the German Parliament, and a similar number of elected delegates from the German states.

The leader of the Bavarian Christian Party, Markus Söder, put forward Aigner's name as a candidate for this position last April. The Bavarian Christian Party also announced its clear support for it during its general conference last October. The Socialist Party leadership also expressed its willingness to support Aigner's candidacy.

Thus, it is highly likely that Aigner will be elected head of state, succeeding current President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Chancellor Merz is also seeking to gain the support of the Green Party, which in turn has previously expressed its support for Aigner. The Chancellor aims to present her as a "centrist candidate", as opposed to the extremist political movements, by which he means the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Left Party.

Alternative Party candidate for the presidency of Germany

On the other hand, the Alternative Party seeks to nominate its own candidate, who must be a man “from the heart of society,” according to sources within the party. However, his chances of winning seem non-existent in light of the clear majority. As for the Left Party, it has not yet decided its position on whether or not to present its own candidate.