Chancellor Merz backs Ilse Aigner as Germany's first female President

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has backed Bavarian politician Ilse Aigner as his preferred candidate for the country's presidency, bringing her closer to becoming Germany's first woman head of state. Merz conveyed his support for Aigner, 61, at a dinner hosted by his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin on Sunday, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. The chancellor, who also leads the CDU, is expected to make his endorsement official on Monday, the person said.

The move follows pressure on Merz from within his party after he failed to put forward a CDU candidate. He had initially held back from supporting Aigner, whose candidature was promoted by Markus Soeder, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the CDU's Bavarian sister party. Merz and Aigner share close personal ties and frequently meet in her constituency in Bavaria, where the chancellor has a holiday home, an official said, Bloomberg reported.

Aigner has support across party lines, including among conservatives, Social Democrats and Greens. The Social Democrats, who are part of Merz's coalition government, indicated their backing last week, according to a party official. The Greens have also signalled support in recent days.

Who is Ilse Aigner?

Aigner is the speaker of the Bavarian state parliament. She has held ministerial positions in two governments led by former chancellor Angela Merkel. She returned to Bavaria in 2013, having earlier trained as an electrician and worked on developing electrical systems for helicopters before entering politics in the 1990s. Her election would mark a first for the CSU, which has never had one of its members serve as Germany's head of state. Previous conservative presidents have all belonged to the CDU. Although the CDU and CSU operate as separate parties in their respective strongholds, they contest national elections together and share a parliamentary group in the Bundestag.

What does the German president do?

Germany's president occupies a largely ceremonial position and remains separate from the day-to-day political contest. However, the office-holder also serves as a symbolic figure and is regarded as the country's moral conscience. Aigner would succeed Frank-Walter Steinmeier, 70, a Social Democrat and former foreign minister who unsuccessfully challenged Merkel for the chancellorship in 2009. Steinmeier cannot seek another term after completing two five-year stints. His presidency is due to end on March 18.