In brief
Friedrich Merz named Bavarian parliament president Ilse Aigner as the Christian Democratic Union’s nominee for Germany’s federal presidency. Aigner, a member of the Christian Social Union, is expected to win the Federal Convention on January 30 2027 thanks to a solid majority of CDU‑aligned delegates. Merz and Aigner said the role must unite the country amid geopolitical pressures and rising extremism.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Monday that Ilse Aigner, the president of Bavaria’s state parliament, will be the Christian Democratic Union’s candidate for the federal presidency.
The announcement came at a press conference in Berlin, where Merz said the CDU’s federal executive board had already backed the nomination.
Aigner, a member of the Christian Social Union, said she aims to be a candidate of the “strong center” to bridge social divides and counter populist and extremist forces.
Election of Germany’s next president will be held by the Federal Convention on January 30 2027, a body composed of members of the lower house of parliament and representatives from the federal states.
With a solid majority in the convention, the CDU‑aligned parties are widely expected to secure Aigner’s election.
