CSU party conference: Söder again proposes Aigner as Federal President

Munich. At the CSU party conference, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder once again campaigned for the Bavarian state parliament president, Ilse Aigner, to become federal president. "The decision will be made somewhere else, but I would be happy if Ilse Aigner became the next Federal President. That would be a great thing."

The renewed suggestion was met with frenetic applause. Aigner, who sat in the front row during the speech, stood up and waved to the delegates. Söder then said that he would say it again on Saturday when Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is a guest at the party conference.

In the CSU, Aigner has long been considered a possible federal president. Söder himself first brought her up for the office in an interview with “Münchner Merkur” at the end of April. "The Union will make a proposal after the summer. If Ilse Aigner wants to, she has my full sympathy and support," he said at the time. He has since reiterated this repeatedly in interviews. Aigner herself always responded cautiously to questions: the question didn't arise now, she usually said.

The attitude of the CDU leadership towards Aigner is unclear. Shortly before the CSU party conference, she made it clear that the candidate question was still open. “The CDU has not given up its claim to nominate a candidate from its ranks,” said party circles.

There has never been a federal president from the CSU. A woman in office would also be a novelty. The last Federal President from the Union was Christian Wulff (CDU), who resigned in February 2012. He was followed by the non-party Joachim Gauck and the former foreign minister and SPD parliamentary group leader Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Steinmeier's successor is to be elected by the Federal Assembly on January 30th. It includes the 630 members of the Bundestag and just as many voters from the federal states.

According to experts' calculations, the Union and SPD will have a majority of around 50 votes. This means that the Social Democrats will also have a say in the candidate search. However, the fact that the Union has the right to make proposals is seen as a foregone conclusion in the coalition.