It was already a foregone conclusion that Ilse Aigner would become the Union's candidate for the federal presidential election. But the official yes from the Chancellor was still missing. Now it's here.
The inner CDU leadership met in Berlin on Sunday evening. Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa
Berlin. According to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's wishes, the President of the Bavarian State Parliament, Ilse Aigner, is to become the first woman to head the state of the Federal Republic of Germany. The CDU chairman announced at a dinner with the party leadership that he would officially propose the 61-year-old CSU politician to the party's top committees as Federal President on Monday, according to party circles. Aigner would not only be the first woman, but also the first CSU politician to take on the highest state office.
The Union and SPD have a majority of around 50 votes
The Federal Assembly, which includes the 630 members of the Bundestag as many voters from the federal states, will decide on January 30th about the successor to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The Union and SPD have a majority of around 50 votes there. CSU boss Markus Söder had already brought Aigner into play as a candidate in April. At the CSU party conference in October, the CDU's smaller sister party had already clearly supported her. The SPD leadership has also promised its support for Aigner.
It is therefore very likely that the 61-year-old will be elected to the head of state. Chancellor Merz also wants to get the Greens on board, who have also already signaled their sympathy for Aigner. The Chancellor's goal is to position Aigner as a "candidate of the center" in contrast to the political fringes - i.e. the AfD and the Left.
AfD wants to field opposing candidates
The AfD wants to put forward its own candidate, a man “from the middle of society,” as the party says. However, he is considered to have no chance because of the clear majority. The Left has not yet decided for or against its own candidacy.
Merz had kept a low profile in the debate for a long time, but then last Monday initially spoke out in favor of a woman - without naming a name. In the past few days, agreement had already been reached in the CDU about Aigner's candidacy. For formal reasons, Merz only wanted to make a decision at the meeting of the party leadership, which met for a meal at the CDU headquarters that evening.
According to information from those close to the Chancellor, Aigner will take part in the regular meetings of the CDU presidium (9 a.m.) and executive board (11 a.m.) on Monday. The two will then appear in front of the cameras together at around 1 p.m.
Merz, Aigner and Söder together at the ceremony in Munich
They then head to the airport and fly to Munich, where they take part in a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the Ohel Jakob main synagogue together with CSU leader Markus Söder. It was inaugurated on November 9, 2006, the 68th anniversary of the pogrom night in which the Nazis unleashed a wave of violence and destruction across Germany against Jewish institutions and the Jewish population in 1938. The joint meeting in Munich had been planned for a long time.
It is expected that Aigner will also introduce himself to the parliamentary groups in the Bundestag in a timely manner. A date has not yet been announced. The next regular meetings are scheduled for Tuesday. It is unclear whether Aigner will join all parliamentary groups, i.e. whether he will also seek approval from members of the AfD and the Left.
Merz and Aigner have been friends for 25 years
Söder had already brought Aigner into play in April as a candidate to succeed Federal President Steinmeier. For a long time, Merz had neither taken a position on this publicly nor behind closed doors within the Union. Already in August there was a personal meeting with her at Tegernsee, where the P question was discussed. But Merz had not yet decided on her at this point.
Merz and Aigner have known each other since 1998 and, according to those close to the Chancellor, have been “close personal friends” for 25 years. Merz has his holiday home in her constituency on Tegernsee. They see each other there regularly and have a common circle of friends.
Aigner is not a classic power politician
Unlike many of her successful male colleagues, Aigner is not considered a classic power politician who uses her elbows to fight for office. It is precisely because of this calmness that she is respected and valued across party lines.
The Upper Bavarian was in federal politics as Agriculture Minister from 2008 to 2013 - until the then Prime Minister Horst Seehofer brought her to Munich. There she first became economics minister and then construction and transport minister before becoming president of the state parliament. In the CSU, she has been leading the largest district association in Upper Bavaria for 15 years now - without anyone there ever being a threat to her.
After twelve men, a woman is at the head of state for the first time
Her rise to the top of the state is a novelty in two respects. In the 77-year history of the Federal Republic of Germany there has never been a female federal president. All twelve previous heads of state were men. There has never been a Federal President who came from the CSU. Six came from the CDU, three from the SPD, two from the FDP and one, Joachim Gauck, was non-party.
If Aigner is elected on January 30th as expected, her term of office will begin on March 19th. Steinmeier will then be in office until March 18th.
