All three eastern German state premiers from the CDU have backed Ilse Aigner as a candidate to succeed German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Brandenburg’s deputy state premier, Jan Redmann, has also expressed support for the 61-year-old CSU politician, who is president of the Bavarian state parliament.
Thuringian Premier Mario Voigt was the first of the three CDU premiers to endorse Aigner, saying she had the qualities needed for the office. Saxony’s Michael Kretschmer said he hoped she would become the Union’s joint candidate, while Saxony-Anhalt’s Sven Schulze described her as a strong choice for the presidency.
Support has also come from Baden-Württemberg, the CDU’s second-largest state association. State parliamentary group leader Tobias Vogt backed Aigner alongside his Bavarian counterpart, Klaus Holetschek, saying she combines firm convictions with an ability to bring people together.
The endorsements add momentum to the search for a successor to Steinmeier. Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz said on Monday that he wanted a woman to become president but did not name a candidate. He has said he plans to propose a joint candidate from the political center and is expected to present a choice to the CDU’s senior bodies on Monday, after talks with state party leaders and other parties.
The CSU put Aigner forward in April and reaffirmed its support at a party conference in Munich. The SPD and Greens have also shown sympathy for her candidacy. However, the CDU has yet to settle on its choice. Other women from the party have been mentioned as possible candidates, including Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, Education Minister Karin Prien and former party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. Klöckner was recently considered Aigner’s strongest potential rival.
The president is elected by the Federal Convention, which is scheduled to meet on January 30. Half of its members come from Germany’s states. In the country’s 77-year history, all 12 presidents have been men, and no president has come from the CSU. Six have belonged to the CDU, three to the SPD and two to the FDP; Joachim Gauck was non-partisan.
Sources: Handelsblatt.