The balance of power in the Federal Presidential election has been clarified. Nothing stands in the way of naming the candidates. It also plays a role in the debate about changing the chancellor.
Berlin. Everyone is talking about a possible change of chancellor, but another high-ranking personality also needs to be clarified: Who will be the successor to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier? Politicians from the CSU and SPD are now pushing for a decision to be made as quickly as possible on a joint coalition candidate for the election on January 30th, in which the black-red coalition has a solid majority. The decision could also have an impact on the debate about replacing the chancellor.
The deputy CSU chairman Manfred Weber is calling for the Union and the SPD to reach an agreement on a common candidate within the next four weeks. “We don’t need a long struggle now, just a clear signal,” said the chairman of the European People’s Party (EPP) to the German Press Agency. “That’s why we should come to an agreement in the coming weeks and create clarity before the CSU party conference at the end of October.”
Who is the CSU's favorite?
The CSU delegates will meet in Munich on October 23rd and 24th. The party plays a special role in the discussion. She is the only one of the three coalition parties to have already named a favorite: the Bavarian state parliament president Ilse Aigner.
“Ilse Aigner has exactly the qualities that we now need for the office of Federal President: political experience, a clear stance against enemies of democracy and, above all, the ability to bring people together,” Weber told the dpa. “It can bridge divides, get people out of their corners and bubbles and appeal to all Germans.”
CSU boss Markus Söder had already brought Aigner into play in April. “If Ilse Aigner wants to, she has my full sympathy and support,” he told the “Münchner Merkur” and the “tz” at the time.
What the P question has to do with the K question
In the meantime, another CSU politician is again being discussed for another very high-ranking office at the federal level: Söder himself. In addition to the North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst from the CDU, he is currently given the best chance of replacing Friedrich Merz (CDU) as Federal Chancellor - whenever.
If Aigner were to become Federal President, Söder's path to the Chancellery would be blocked. It is considered impossible that two of the three highest state offices will go to CSU politicians. The decision about the candidacy for Steinmeier's successor will also have an impact on the discussion about a possible exchange of chancellors, which has not yet been ticked off despite the CDU Prime Minister's provisional support for Merz.
At the beginning of September, Söder reiterated that he would support Aigner. CDU leader Merz has so far held back in the debate. "I plan to come to an agreement with the party leaders of the SPD and the CSU in the fall. And until then, I will take note of suggestions with interest," he said in April and has stuck to it to this day. The CDU's line is that a woman would be desirable, but that that is not the top criterion.
What the SPD wants
However, the Union also needs the SPD. Together with her, she has a majority of around 50 votes in the Federal Assembly, which includes the 630 members of the Bundestag and the same number of voters from the states. The Social Democrats insist on nominating a woman and they too want a quick decision. “The state elections are over, now it’s time to get to the finish line in the search for candidates for the office of Federal President,” said SPD parliamentary secretary Dirk Wiese to the “Rheinische Post.” He sticks to it: “It should be a woman.”
She must act prudently “and have good judgment in order to address and resolve conflicts at an early stage,” said Wiese. “And it should have a good standing on the international stage.”
Which CDU women are trafficked
The Union has the right to propose candidates within the coalition. For two reasons: It has more members than the SPD in the Federal Assembly. And the SPD already has Steinmeier as the Federal President, so it is not his turn.
In addition to the former Federal Minister of Agriculture Aigner, some CDU politicians are also in discussion: the current Education Minister Karin Prien, the former CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the former Minister of State for Culture Monika Grütters. In the almost 80-year history of the Federal Republic, a woman has never been head of state.
Which CDU man waves it off
Individual men are also trafficked, especially Hesse's Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU). But he told “Bild am Sonntag”: “The question doesn’t arise.” He didn't talk to anyone about this topic. "It's not unflattering to be mentioned in this context. But I am what I want to be: namely Prime Minister of Hesse. I will lead my Hesse CDU in an election campaign in 2028."
