Berlin. As Federal President, Ilse Aigner wants to tackle the increasing division in society if she is elected to the head of state “with heart and mind”. She wanted to be the candidate of a “strong center” and help overcome rifts, said the Bavarian state parliament president after her nomination by the CDU executive board at the presentation by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The former electrical engineer also emphasized that she wanted to maintain her down-to-earth attitude as president, which was appreciated by many. “I don’t want to be above the citizens, I want to be part of them,” she said. And she wants to speak a clear language.
Merz also emphasized that, in his view, Aigner's five-year term in office was primarily about cohesion. She will be “a Federal President with dignity and with heart”. He praised her political experience and her commitment to democracy. "Our society needs a face. Ilse Aigner gives it that face," he said.
The CDU board had previously officially nominated Aigner at Merz's suggestion with long-lasting applause. If she is elected by the Federal Assembly on January 30th, she would be the first woman and first CSU politician to head the state. After the CDU's decision, CSU boss Markus Söder made it clear once again who the initiative for Aigner came from: "Thank you for the broad support for my proposal."
The coalition parties CDU, CSU and SPD have a majority of around 50 votes in the body, which is made up of the 630 members of the Bundestag and the same number of state voters.
The SPD executive committee also supported the nomination in the morning. The parliamentary group and party leadership of the Greens also suggested that voters in the Federal Assembly support Aigner's election. This means that a majority is almost certain - probably even in the first round of voting.
After the joint statement, Merz and Aigner set off together for Munich, where they will take part in a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the Bavarian capital's main synagogue together with Söder.
Then the election campaign begins for Aigner. She will possibly introduce herself to the parliamentary groups in the Bundestag on Tuesday, which will then meet regularly. It is unclear whether she will also join the AfD and the Left. With the decision she will also send an example of how she wants to deal with the political fringes. The fact that she has broad support in the political center is “an important signal against populist and extremist forces in our country,” she said at her presentation.
AfD parliamentary group leader Alice Weidel expects Aigner to also be seen by members of the largest opposition force. “This is a question of democratic culture and manners and one of respect for the millions of voters we represent,” she emphasized.
Either way, the AfD wants to put forward its own candidate, a man “from the middle of society,” as the party says. The Left also wants to make its own proposal. This will be discussed in the party committees in the coming days, said party leader Luigi Pantisano.
The decision for a candidate from the Union took many months. CSU boss Markus Söder had already brought Aigner into play in April. Several candidates from the CDU were also under discussion, but none of the parties could rally behind them, which is why it ultimately came down to Aigner. Merz is therefore also accused by his own party of hesitancy and a lack of leadership. Those around him emphasize that the process took time.
Aigner addressed this in her statement. “The Chancellor made it really exciting, including for me,” she said. “But if this dramaturgy means that a broad political center can really come together behind me, then I will be very happy about that.”
Söder also couldn't resist a tip. “After weeks of discussions, let’s put it this way: all’s well that ends well!” he said. The coalition's work in the next few weeks will show whether something remains stuck between him and the Chancellor after the tough discovery phase.
Aigner's 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.
The fact that a woman will be at the head of state in the future was considered “historic” by many people - including Angela Merkel, who was the first woman to head the federal government between 2005 and 2021. The former CDU leader praised Aigner for “her passion for politics, her connection to people, her ability to build bridges, her commitment to values, her love of her homeland, her cosmopolitanism, her humor.”
