German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has nominated Ilse Aigner, the 61-year-old Speaker of the Bavarian Landtag, for the position of German president.
Modern.az, citing “Der Spiegel”, reports that her candidacy has already been supported by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the “Alliance 90/The Greens” party, which are part of the ruling coalition.
Presidential elections in Germany are scheduled for January 30, 2027. The head of state is elected by the Federal Assembly, which is specially convened for this purpose. The Assembly consists of all members of the Bundestag, as well as an equal number of representatives sent by the local parliaments of the 16 federal states.
According to German media, Aigner has already gained sufficient support. If she is elected president, it will be the first time in the 78-year history of the Federal Republic of Germany, and after 12 men have held the position, that the country will be led by a female president. In addition, it will be the first time that a representative of Bavaria's Christian Social Union party will hold this position.
Dmitry Stratiyevsky, director of the Berlin Center for Eastern European Studies, told “The Insider” that three factors played a role in Aigner's nomination.
According to the expert, firstly, Aigner has support among broad segments of society, is not known as someone involved in political intrigues, and has a reputation as a unifying figure.
The second factor is the active discussion in various German political groups about the necessity of electing a woman to the presidency.
The third factor is related to her vocational education. Aigner is an engineer specializing in television equipment setup and has worked as an electrical technician. She does not have a higher education. The expert noted that while the vast majority of well-known politicians have university degrees in fields such as law or political science, Aigner acts as a “candidate of the people.”
The expert added that although the presidential office is considered secondary in German politics, the head of state has various opportunities to influence the country's politics. Therefore, who holds this position is of great importance.
Note: The text has been translated and edited based on information from the original source.
