By R Anil Kumar
Bengaluru, Nov 9, 2026. Leading Bavarian politician Ilse Aigner is set to become Germany’s first female president next year after receiving formal backing from Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
In a joint press conference, Merz praised fellow conservative Aigner for having “a clear sense of direction and a clear voice.”
“We need a leader who can draw on the support of our country’s broad political centre,” he said.
Aigner said she wanted to be a candidate for the “strong centre” of society.
“I’m in politics precisely to bridge divides, to bring people together, and to reach out to those who might feel left out,” she said, arguing that her nomination was a signal against “populism and extremist forces.”
Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) on Monday officially nominated Aigner to succeed President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose term ends in March next year.
The announcement during a meeting of the party leadership was met with long applause, dpa sources said.
Her nomination is being supported by Merz’s Social Democrat coalition partners as well as opposition Green Party leaders, virtually guaranteeing that she will be approved as president in a special Federal Convention early next year.
“Our society needs a face,” said Merz. “Ilse Aigner gives it that face. For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, a woman will hold the highest office of state. A statement that, in 2026, will seem as historic as it is self-evident. In my view, it is high time that a woman held this highest office for the first time.”
In Germany’s 77-year post-war history, there has never been a female president. All 12 heads of state to date have been men.
Former longtime chancellor Angela Merkel was one of the many figures who spoke out in favour of a female president in recent months.
Friends with Chancellor:
Aigner is currently the president of the Bavarian state parliament. She is from the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party to Merz’s CDU.
Unlike many of her male colleagues, Aigner is not regarded as a power-hungry politician, and is respected across party lines.
A qualified electrical engineer from Upper Bavaria, she served as agriculture minister in the federal government from 2008 to 2013.
After that, she served as economy minister and then as construction minister in the Bavarian government, before becoming president of the state parliament.
Merz and Aigner have known each other since 1998 and, according to sources close to the chancellor, have been “close friends in their private lives” for 25 years.
Merz has a holiday home in her constituency on Lake Tegernsee. They see each other there regularly and share a circle of friends.
After staying away from the debate over the presidency for a long time, Merz a week ago spoke out in favour of a woman in the role – without naming anyone. There was however broad consensus within his CDU regarding Aigner’s candidacy.
Landmark Presidency:
The German president is elected by the Federal Convention, a body convened solely for the purpose of choosing the country’s next head of state. It will decide on January 30 on a successor to Steinmeier.
Should Aigner be elected, her term of office will begin on March 19.
In Germany’s political system, the presidency is a largely ceremonial but highly visible role.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) intends to put forward its own candidate, a man “from the heart of society,” as the party puts it. However, given the clear majority situation, he is considered to have no chance of success. The Left has not yet decided whether to field its own candidate.
