Ilse Aigner nominated for Federal President

Berlin (dpa) – Ilse Aigner has pledged to tackle growing divisions in society with both “heart and head” if elected Federal President of Germany. The President of the Bavarian State Parliament said she wanted to represent the “strong political centre” and help bridge divides. She was speaking as Chancellor Friedrich Merz introduced her following her nomination by the CDU leadership. 

A former electrical engineer, Aigner also stressed that she wished to retain the down-to-earth manner for which she has been widely praised if she becomes president. “I don’t want to stand above the people. I am one of them,” she said. She also promised to speak plainly and directly. 

Merz likewise emphasised that, in his view, bringing people together would be the central task of Aigner’s five-year term. She would bring dignity and warmth to the office of Federal President, he said. He praised her political experience and commitment to democracy. “Our society needs a face. Ilse Aigner gives it that face,” he said.

Aigner is widely expected to be elected by the Federal Convention on 30 January 2027. She would become Germany’s first female head of state and the first politician from the CSU to hold the office. 

Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s second term as Federal President is due to end on 18 March 2027, after ten years in office.