Merkel calls for Germany's first female president as Steinmeier's term nears its end

Merkel calls for a first female president

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday, 30 October, that the time has come for a woman to succeed Frank-Walter Steinmeier. She made the remark in an interview with MagentaTV for the programme Bestbesetzung, hosted by Johannes B. Kerner. Merkel pointed out that the Federal Republic of Germany has 77 years of history and has never had a female president. She urged everyone to ask whether the moment has come now, without naming a candidate, while saying she knows women who could do the job.

The race and the names in play

Steinmeier, a member of the SPD, has served two consecutive terms and cannot stand again, and his current mandate runs until March 2027. The CDU, the main force in the conservative Union, claims the right to nominate the candidate but has not yet decided. Names circulating among women include Bundestag president Julia Klöckner, Education Minister Karin Prien and former CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. CSU chairman Markus Söder has for some time backed Ilse Aigner, president of the Bavarian state parliament, for the post. In earlier months, politicians across the spectrum had also backed a female candidacy, among them CDU parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei, deputy party chair Silvia Breher and Baden-Württemberg Greens chair Cem Özdemir. Appeals for a woman candidate have also grown within the SPD.

How the successor is chosen

The new head of state will be elected on 30 January 2027 by the Federal Convention, a temporary body made up of Bundestag members and an equal number of delegates named by the parliaments of Germany's 16 states. Germany has a parliamentary system in which the chancellor leads the government, while the president mostly plays a representative and ceremonial role. The president represents Germany abroad, signs federal laws before they take effect, can refuse to sign laws considered unconstitutional and can grant pardons. The president serves a single five-year term that can be renewed once, and can speak up in public debate or defend the constitution when needed.

Criticism of the party line

Merkel also questioned the tone of the debate over the choice, calling it strange and describing a bad undertone in the discussion. She criticised the party line as well and called on the CDU to rebuild bridges in society. The CDU has not yet settled on a name, and the Federal Convention is set to elect the successor on 30 January 2027.