Merz backs Aigner for Germany’s next president

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Sunday, November 8, that he intends to put Bavarian politician Ilse Aigner forward as Germany’s next president, a choice that could make her the country’s first woman to hold the largely ceremonial office.

Merz made the announcement at a dinner for leaders of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Aigner, 61, belongs to the Christian Social Union (CSU), the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, and is president of the Bavarian state parliament. His announcement is not yet a formal party nomination: CDU and CSU bodies were expected to consider her candidacy on Monday, November 9.

The Federal Convention is scheduled to elect a successor to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on January 30, 2027. Aigner would take office only if selected by the convention. Steinmeier, a Social Democrat who took office in 2017, reaches the constitutional limit of two five-year terms in March 2027.

The convention is made up of all 630 members of the Bundestag and an equal number of delegates selected by state legislatures. It chooses the president by secret ballot. The president’s duties are largely ceremonial, including signing legislation and formally appointing...