Ilse Aigner, Digi Mart USA News: Bavarian state parliament president Ilse Aigner, 61, of the Christian Social Union (CSU), is reportedly on track to become the Union bloc’s candidate for federal president of Germany, which would make her the first woman to hold the post.
According to the publisher’s report, citing information from within the Union parties, the decision has been made and Aigner is expected to be the nominee. The report states that the matter was expected to be discussed at a Sunday meeting at the Chancellery with all CDU state parliamentary group leaders, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz wanting to adhere strictly to his timetable.
The article says the process had initially appeared unlikely. Merz, 70, of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), reportedly resisted the idea after CSU leader Markus Söder, 59, publicly backed Aigner in late April, which reportedly irritated influential CDU members.
Söder had said the Union would make a proposal after the summer and that he fully supported Aigner if she wished to run.
According to the report, support for Aigner grew within the CDU, including from Saxony’s state premier Michael Kretschmer, 51, and the Union parliamentary group’s women members. Parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei, 53, reportedly praised Aigner in BILD, which was seen in party circles as a sign that Merz had dropped his opposition.
The article notes that the Union cannot secure a majority in the Federal Assembly without the SPD, and that SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch, 57, had already publicly endorsed Aigner.
The report describes Aigner as conservative but pragmatic and non-ideological, with broad cross-party popularity across Germany. It adds that the CDU presidium was scheduled to meet Monday morning, and that a decision could be finalized then.
