Merz commits to a woman as Germany's next federal president, CDU to name a Union candidate

Merz sets the condition

On Monday evening, 2 November, Chancellor Friedrich Merz told a non-public meeting of CDU district chairs in Berlin that Steinmeier's successor must be a woman. Until then he had kept largely silent on the succession, and he named no candidate. He said he would propose "a joint candidate, a candidate of the political center" to the party. NZZ reports that the CDU, as the largest force in the Federal Convention, effectively holds the right to nominate, although the Basic Law does not spell this out. The body that elects the next head of state is scheduled to vote on 30 January 2027.

“I am committed on this point: it must be a woman.”

Who is on the shortlist

The CSU has put forward Ilse Aigner, president of the Bavarian state parliament, and DIE WELT reports she enjoys recognition across party lines. NZZ reports that Markus Söder and the CSU have received signals of support from the SPD and the Greens for her candidacy. Berliner Zeitung reports that the CSU has been floating Aigner since June 2025, and that some in the federal CDU believe Söder is backing her while expecting CDU objections, a claim the paper attributes to CDU circles. Other names in CDU circles include Bundestag president Julia Klöckner, education minister Karin Prien, former party chair and defence minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Ines Claus, who heads the CDU group in the Hessian state parliament. NZZ says Merz's remarks effectively rule out male names such as Hesse's minister-president Boris Rhein, Constitutional Court president Stephan Harbarth and Udo di Fabio.

What the CDU is saying

CDU general secretary Franziska Hoppermann told ntv's Frühstart that the candidate will come from the Union ranks.

“The candidate comes from the ranks of the Union for Friedrich Merz and is therefore also a joint proposal of the two Union party leaders.”

Hoppermann did not rule out that Ilse Aigner is still in the running, and she said the party committees are expected to decide early in the week of 9 November. She defended the timing of Merz's commitment, saying he had held the position for some time before stating it on Monday. She also said the party has many suitable women and that the candidate's profile, not only gender, should be discussed. According to her, the next federal president needs political experience and a warm, down-to-earth manner with people.

What comes next

Merz plans to speak with the CDU state chairs and the CSU before the Union puts forward a joint proposal, and he intends to include the SPD and the Greens in the search.

The timeline runs from Merz's remarks to the Federal Assembly vote on 30 January 2027. Stern notes that the Basic Law sets 30 days as sufficient for such a search, and that roughly three months remain before the vote. A Stern commentary argues the timing is not yet late, since Steinmeier's nomination came about three months before his election and Horst Köhler's 80 days before his.