CDU backs Ilse Aigner for German president, media report

German media reported on November 6, 2026 that Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats agreed to back Ilse Aigner of the Bavarian Christian Social Union for the office of German president. Bild, Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Der Spiegel all reported the CDU agreement, according to Reuters.

A CDU spokesperson declined to comment ahead of an official announcement expected following meetings on Monday to propose a successor to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose term ends in 2027. "I can neither confirm nor deny that and would refer you to the committee meetings on Monday," the spokesperson told Reuters.

Aigner, 61, is speaker of the Bavarian state parliament. She trained as an electrical engineering technician and worked in electrical-systems development for helicopter maker Eurocopter. She began her political career in local politics before being elected to federal parliament in 1998. She served as agriculture minister under former Chancellor Angela Merkel before returning to her home state of Bavaria, where she became speaker of the state parliament in 2018.

The CSU put forward Aigner's name earlier in 2026, but the CDU held back from endorsing her while Merz considered alternatives, straining relations between the two sister parties. Merz said earlier this week he wanted to see a woman elected as president, and Aigner has received strong verbal backing from members of the center-left Social Democrats and some members of the environmental Greens.

Germany's president holds a largely ceremonial position, signing legislation into law and formally appointing ministers, but can play a significant role beyond daily politics as a moral voice. The Federal Convention, made up of the Bundestag and representatives from the 16 federal states, elects the president.