Steinmeier successor: Support for Ilse Aigner is growing

Berlin/Stuttgart/Munich. Support for Ilse Aigner's candidacy as Federal President is growing. Following other influential CDU politicians from the states, Baden-Württemberg's CDU state leader Manuel Hagel is also in favor of nominating the Bavarian state parliament president for the office of head of state. And there is also further support from the SPD. Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) describes the CSU politician as "the perfect candidate".

“Ilse Aigner has my full support as a joint candidate for the office of Federal President,” said Hagel to the German Press Agency in Stuttgart. "Her reputation extends far beyond her own ranks. She combines clarity with warmth. Always at eye level, always empathetic." He referred to the increasingly harsh political climate in the Federal Republic. Many people have the feeling that something is slipping. “Right now, as head of state, Germany needs a voice that brings people together.”

The Federal Assembly will meet in Berlin on January 30, 2027 to determine the successor to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The CSU supports Aigner's candidacy. Several influential CDU politicians have now spoken out openly in support of Aigner, including all three East German CDU prime ministers.

“This support shows the high level of acceptance for the offer of a candidate who would have a good chance of a strong result in the first round of voting,” said CSU General Secretary Martin Huber to the “Rheinische Post”. “This would also mean a strong result for the democratic center.”

On Monday, Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz called for a woman to be Federal President, but did not yet mention a name. A decision is expected at the beginning of next week when the CDU presidium and board deal with the issue.

Open support for Aigner now also comes from Brandenburg's Prime Minister Woidke. “Ilse Aigner has everything that makes a good Federal President,” the SPD politician told Politico. "She knows German politics inside out. She is approachable. She likes people, can listen and people listen to her." If the CSU politician were suggested, he would be very happy.

Union parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei expects that the proposal from the CDU and CSU for the office of Federal President will meet with broad cross-party support. “She has proven over many decades in Bavarian and German politics that Ilse Aigner is a very outstanding person,” said the CDU politician “Bild”, without specifically saying who the Union wants to put forward as a common candidate.

He expects that there will be a joint proposal from the party leaders of the CDU and CSU in a few days. He assumes that this will be a proposal that is “broadly supported” beyond the Union and “will find acceptance throughout Germany beyond the coalition with the SPD and that in the end we will have a very, very good Federal President,” said Frei.

At the same time, he affirmed that, in addition to Aigner, there are of course “other, very excellent women who will undoubtedly overcome this challenge.” The Union faction leader had already declared last week that he did not want to commit to Aigner. “Thank God we have some women who are very, very well suited for this,” he told Welt TV. He cited Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, Education Minister Karin Prien and former CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as examples.