Union candidate Ilse Aigner declines to meet AfD group before presidential vote

Aigner rules out a visit to the AfD group

Ilse Aigner, the Union's candidate for Germany's presidency, will not introduce herself to the AfD parliamentary group before the vote. Her chief of staff, Erik Markuse, confirmed the decision to The Pioneer and pointed to a remark by AfD deputy group leader Beatrix von Storch, who had called the nomination an "Armutszeugnis". Markuse said:

“That makes a visit to the AfD parliamentary group unnecessary.”

Aigner is due to present herself first to the Union parliamentary group on Tuesday, 10 November, followed by the SPD and the Greens. No appointment with the Left has been scheduled yet.

Weidel escalates the dispute

AfD leader Alice Weidel had already called on Sunday evening, 8 November, for Aigner to present herself to the AfD group. Weidel described the AfD as the second-largest Bundestag group and said such a meeting was a matter of democratic culture and respect for voters. After the refusal became known on Monday evening, 9 November, Weidel told The Pioneer that it cast doubt on whether the office would really stand above party lines. She called Aigner's view an unfortunate understanding of what the highest office in the state should stand for, and had expected the candidate to appear before the AfD group as well.

Nomination and backing from the mainstream

The CDU leadership nominated the Bavarian Landtag president on Monday, 9 November, on the proposal of Chancellor and party leader Friedrich Merz. Aigner, 61, could count on support from the SPD and the Greens, according to reporting on the nomination. Former chancellor Angela Merkel said the nomination was "historic" and that Aigner, unlike earlier candidates, had a realistic chance of being elected. Merkel praised her passion for politics and her ability to build bridges, and wished her all conceivable success in the weeks ahead. Merz said Aigner brings the very best prerequisites for the office and can represent Germany with dignity and heart. Bundestag president Julia Klöckner said Aigner could bring together different political camps. If Aigner is elected, the two highest state offices would for the first time be held by women.

Aigner's pitch as a candidate of the centre

At a press conference Aigner described herself as a candidate of the "starke Mitte", a strong centre, and said backing from the CDU, SPD and Greens sent an important signal against populist and extremist forces. She said she wanted to act as a counterweight to the growing strength of the political fringes. Aigner pointed to attacks on the country's democracy and said:

“Our country and our democracy are being attacked, from within and from outside.”

She added that division was being pushed forward and consensus was being held in contempt, and said she intended to oppose every attack on human dignity. She also said she wanted to bring decency back as the standard and rebuild trust with heart and with reason.

Timeline of the dispute

The dispute unfolded over three days, from the demand made on Sunday evening to the meeting planned for Tuesday. The Federal Assembly vote on 30 January is the next fixed date in the sequence.