Germany news: Nearly three-quarters of Germans unlikely to celebrate Halloween. Meanwhile, parties debate who should succeed President Steinmeier

Bavarian politician Ilse Aigner is attracting wide support to become Germany's next president

Germany is set to elect a successor to Frank-Walter Steinmeier on January 30

Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Wednesday, October 28, 2026:

Instead, a special Federal Convention brings together Bundestag lawmakers and an equal number of delegates chosen by Germany's 16 state parliaments.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), and their coalition partner, the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), together hold a majority.

That means they could elect a candidate without support from other parties, provided their delegates agree.

Initial talks will involve CDU state leaders and the CSU, with November 9 seen as an important milestone. Discussions will then widen to include the SPD and environmentalist Greens.

German political parties are weighing who should succeed President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, with Bavarian parliamentary speaker Ilse Aigner attracting support across party lines.

The presidency is Germany's largely ceremonial head-of-state role, separate from the chancellor, who leads the government. Steinmeier cannot seek a third consecutive term, and his successor will be elected on January 30.

Germany has never before had a woman as federal president.

Aigner belongs to the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The CSU leader and Bavarian premier Markus Söder has endorsed her.

She has also drawn backing from politicians outside the conservative bloc, including senior Greens politician and Bundestag deputy speaker Omid Nouripour.

"We need someone in these times who holds the country together," Nouripour said during Steinmeier's state visit to China, arguing that Aigner had the experience and authority required.

Center-left Social Democratic Party politicians have also voiced support.

But Merz's CDU says it should nominate the candidate. Sources close to the chancellor denied reports that he favored Ines Claus, who leads the CDU parliamentary group in the state of Hesse, saying he had "neither made a decision nor put forward a proposal."

Nearly three-quarters of Germans are unlikely to celebrate Halloween, despite its popularity among younger adults, according to a YouGov poll.

Some 74% said they were very or fairly unlikely to take part, whether by dressing up, attending a party, decorating or handing out sweets to children.

By contrast, 23% said they would probably celebrate in some way. That figure rose to 50% among 18- to 24-year-olds, compared with just 11% among those aged 55 and over.

The survey found no difference between respondents in eastern and western Germany.

YouGov surveyed 2,666 adults in Germany on October 27. The poll was described as representative.

Halloween falls on Saturday this year. Its name comes from "All Hallows' Eve," the evening before the Christian feast of All Saints, and its customs spread to the US with European immigrants.