Federal Presidential successor: Union parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei calls Ilse Aigner “outstanding personality”

She is at least the most frequently mentioned potential candidate to succeed Frank-Walter Steinmeier as Federal President: Ilse Aigner. Even if Chancellor Friedrich Merz has not yet made a decision, more and more politicians from the ranks of the black-red coalition are speaking out in favor of the CSU woman. There are also sometimes more, sometimes less clear expressions of sympathy from the CDU.

CDU Union faction leader Thorsten Frei does not want to commit to a candidate yet. However, he now called Aigner “a very outstanding person.” She has “proven this over many decades in Bavarian and German politics,” Frei told Bild.

Next Monday, the CDU presidium could make a decision on the federal presidential question. Recently, several CDU prime ministers publicly supported Aigner. For example, Saxony's head of government Michael Kretschmer said that he would like "Ilse Aigner to become our common candidate for the Union on Monday."

Support for Aigner now also comes from the southwest: "Ilse Aigner has my full support as a joint candidate for the office of Federal President," said the Baden-Württemberg CDU leader Manuel Hagel to the dpa news agency. »Your reputation extends far beyond your own ranks. She combines clarity with warmth. Always at eye level, always empathetic.«

The SPD Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke from Brandenburg also described Aigner as “the perfect candidate”. »She knows German politics inside out. She is approachable. She likes people, can listen and people listen to her.«

The Federal Assembly will meet in Berlin on January 30, 2027 to determine the successor to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The CSU supports Aigner's candidacy. The popularity of the current President of the Bavarian State Parliament is being carefully noted in Munich.

“This support shows the high level of acceptance for the offer of a candidate who would have a good chance of a strong result in the first round,” said CSU General Secretary Martin Huber to the “Rheinische Post”.