Chancellor Merz to nominate Aigner as Germany's first woman president

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced his intention to nominate Ilse Aigner as the candidate for Germany's next president, a move that would make her the country's first woman to hold the office of head of state.

Merz made the announcement at a dinner for leaders of his centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party on Sunday. Aigner, who belongs to the Christian Social Union (CSU) party and serves as speaker of the Bavarian state parliament, would be nominated for the role that is set to be filled on January 30 by the Federal Convention. This meeting is scheduled to confirm her candidacy, after which she would almost certainly be formally elected.

According to German political practice, coalition parties must agree on a common candidate. The governing coalition consists of the CDU, the CSU, and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The SPD has frequently voiced its support for Aigner as president, and she previously served as agriculture minister under former Chancellor Angela Merkel before returning to her home state of Bavaria.

Aigner, 61, began her political career in local politics before being elected to the federal parliament in 1998. She later served as agriculture minister under Angela Merkel before returning to Bavaria, where she was elected speaker of the state parliament in 2018. The CSU put forward Aigner's name earlier this year, but the CDU held back from endorsing her while Merz considered alternatives, which strained relations between the parties.

Germany's president is elected by the Federal Convention, which will decide on incumbent Frank-Walter Steinmeier's successor. Steinmeier, a Social Democrat, took office in 2017 and will reach the limit of two five-year terms in March 2027. The German presidency is largely ceremonial, involving signing legislation and formally appointing ministers, though the role can also serve as a neutral arbiter above party politics and a symbol of national unity.