Support is growing for Ilse Aigner to become Germany’s next president. Baden-Württemberg CDU leader Manuel Hagel has backed the Bavarian state parliament president, joining several influential Christian Democrats who have publicly supported her. Brandenburg Minister-President Dietmar Woidke of the SPD has also praised her candidacy.
“I fully support Ilse Aigner as a joint candidate for the office of Federal President,” Hagel told the German Press Agency. He said her standing extends beyond her own party and described her as both clear-spoken and empathetic. With Germany’s political climate becoming more tense, he argued, the country needs a head of state who can bring people together.
The Federal Assembly is due to meet in Berlin on January 30, 2027, to choose a successor to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The CSU has already backed Aigner, and all three eastern German CDU state premiers are among the party figures who have expressed support for her.
CSU Secretary-General Martin Huber said the backing showed that Aigner could have a strong result in the first round of voting, which he said would also represent a strong showing for the democratic center. Woidke called her “the perfect candidate,” citing her political experience, approachability and ability to listen.
CDU leader and Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for a woman to become president but has not named a preferred candidate. CDU and CSU leaders are expected to consider the nomination early next week, with a joint proposal anticipated within days.
Union parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei described Aigner as an excellent potential candidate but said other highly qualified women could also take on the role. He named Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, Education Minister Karin Prien and former CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as examples, while predicting that the parties’ eventual choice would receive broad support beyond the Union.
Sources: Handelsblatt.