German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc has nominated Ilse Aigner as its candidate for the country’s presidency next year, setting up a vote that could make her Germany’s first female head of state, according to The Associated Press, as reported by Eagle-Tribune.
Aigner, 61, currently serves as the speaker of Bavaria’s state parliament and belongs to the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party to Merz’s Christian Democratic Union, as reported by The Korea Herald.
Merz announced his intention to appoint her at a party dinner, and her nomination secured official backing from leaders of the CDU and the center-left Social Democrats, alongside positive signals from the opposition Greens, according to European Interest.
The presidential election is scheduled for January 30, 2027, when the Federal Convention — comprising 630 members of the Bundestag and an equal number of delegates from Germany’s 16 state parliaments — will choose a successor to outgoing President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, as detailed by SFG Media. Steinmeier, a Social Democrat, reaches his two-term limit in March 2027, according to The Korea Herald.
The governing parties hold an estimated majority of around 50 votes in the assembly, making Aigner the favorite to win the secret ballot, according to DW and SFG Media. Amid rising political polarization and as the anti-migrant, pro-Russian AfD registers a record 28 percent in opinion polls, supporters view Aigner as a potential calming influence, as noted by The Korea Herald.
Aigner Built Her Career in Engineering and Politics
Having engaged in political life from her late teens, Aigner completed training as an electrical engineering technician and worked on electrical systems at helicopter maker Eurocopter prior to her election to the Bavarian state legislature in 1994, as reported by The Batesville Daily Guard and Egyptian Gazette.
She served as Germany’s agriculture minister from 2008 to 2013 under Chancellor Angela Merkel, then held posts as Bavaria’s economy minister and transport minister before becoming speaker of the Bavarian state legislature, according to The Batesville Daily Guard.
Prior to her involvement in politics, Aigner completed her training as a radio and television technician and was employed in her family’s electrical enterprise located in Bavaria. She qualified as an electrical engineering technician and spent four years developing helicopter electrical systems at Eurocopter before serving in Bavaria’s state parliament and subsequently winning a seat in the Bundestag in 1998.
During her tenure as agriculture minister under Chancellor Angela Merkel, she wrote to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in 2010 regarding the platform’s handling of user data before meeting a company representative and announcing she would leave the platform. After returning to Bavaria, she served as deputy head of the state government with portfolios covering the economy and energy.
Chancellor Merz presented Aigner in Berlin, pointing to her background in manual work.
From my point of view, it is high time for a woman to hold this highest office for the first time,
Chancellor Friedrich Merz
He noted that her background as an electrical engineer reflects the reality of millions of citizens, according to The Batesville Daily Guard.
Dietmar Woidke, a regional SPD leader, told Politico that Aigner knows German politics thoroughly and listens well, describing her as the perfect candidate for the position, according to The Korea Herald. Aigner carries a relatively liberal reputation, having supported Germany’s first openly transgender lawmaker in 2019 during her tenure as parliamentary speaker, as reported by The Batesville Daily Guard.
Mainstream Parties Support Aigner While AfD Criticizes Her Nomination
While mainstream parties have rallied around her candidacy, the far-right Alternative for Germany plans to field its own candidate, according to European Interest. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel criticized the nomination, stating that as parliamentary speaker, Aigner has proven several times that she cannot set aside the role of party politician,
according to The Batesville Daily Guard.
Aigner addressed her nomination by emphasizing her intent to bridge societal divides.
I am in politics to overcome divisions, bring people together and also reach those who perhaps feel that they stand on the sidelines,
Ilse Aigner, Speaker of Bavaria’s state legislature
She added that she stands against every attack on human dignity, according to The Batesville Daily Guard.
Since the establishment of Germany’s post-World War II federal republic in 1949, the country has had 12 presidents, all of whom have been men, while women have held other prominent roles, as reported by The Batesville Daily Guard.
