Federal presidential election: Unelected candidate Ilse Aigner - criticism of Chancellor Merz

While the approval of Ilse Aigner as the new Federal President rose and rose, the Chancellor remained silent. Merz counters criticism with a reference to the agreed procedure.

The decision has been made for CSU politician Ilse Aigner.

Berlin. Ilse Aigner's candidacy for Federal President met with widespread support even before an official decision was made. After the CSU, the larger sister party CDU has also decided to nominate the 61-year-old Bavarian state parliament president for the office. She would be the first woman to head the state.

According to information from the German Press Agency from several high-ranking sources in the Union, Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz Aigner wants to officially propose this to the CDU leadership bodies that meet in Berlin on Sunday and Monday. Criticism of the Chancellor's approach comes from the Greens, among others.

Merz initially maintained his silence. “We in the CDU have agreed with the CSU that we will follow a procedure,” he said, according to a report by the “Westfalenpost” on Friday evening at a newspaper event in Hagen. “I am, perhaps one of the few, sticking to the agreed procedures.” But he has decided on a woman.

“Unprofessional search”

“Friedrich Merz has once again let an important personnel procedure slip away,” said former Green Party leader Omid Nouripour to the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger”. His party colleague and parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann told the dpa: "The unprofessional search by the Union and Friedrich Merz is unworthy of this office. How can you stumble a process like that?"

Criticism had previously also been voiced from the CDU itself. “For such a top office, where we have very difficult federal elections ahead of us, to dilettante and delay like this is bitter,” said CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter on the ZDF program “Markus Lanz”, with a view to Merz and the next federal elections in 2029.

SPD leader Lars Klingbeil has already announced that his party will welcome and support Aigner's candidacy. The Union and the SPD have a majority of around 50 votes in the Federal Assembly, which will elect Frank-Walter Steinmeier's successor on January 30th.

Despite all the criticism of Merz, the Greens also show sympathy for Aigner as a possible new head of state. "We value Ilse Aigner. She has always appeared approachable and approachable in her previous political positions," said Haßelmann.

Joy in the Union - rejection by the AfD and the Left

Great relief could be felt within the Union itself. “I am pleased about the nomination of Ilse Aigner as the next Federal President,” said the chairwoman of the Union women’s group in the Bundestag, Mechthild Heil (CDU), to the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. Former CSU leader Horst Seehofer, a long-time supporter of Aigner, told the same newspaper: “Ilse Aigner is the right federal president at the right time.”

Aigner is rejected by the AfD and the Left. "As head of state, the future Federal President must unite all Germans and not divide them. As a candidate with the Union Firemason's party ticket, Ms. Aigner will not be able to achieve this," wrote AfD party leader Tino Chrupalla on

Söder brought Aigner into play

Aigner would be the first female Federal President and also the first CSU politician to hold this office.

CSU boss Markus Söder had already brought Aigner into play in April. For a long time, Merz did not comment at all in the candidate debate, but then finally decided on a woman. There were a variety of names in circulation. In the past few days, more and more CDU government and state leaders have spoken openly in favor of Aigner.

Your choice would probably also have an impact on Söder or CSU Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt's candidacy for chancellor as potential successors to Merz: it is difficult to imagine in political Berlin that the CSU would provide both head of state and chancellor.