Germany’s Christian Democrats (CDU) have nominated Bavarian state parliament president Ilse Aigner as their candidate for the federal presidency, following a proposal by Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz on Monday, 9 November. If elected, the 61-year-old CSU politician would become the first woman to hold the office.
The election is scheduled for 30 January 2027 in Berlin. The Federal Convention brings together all 630 members of the Bundestag and an equal number of delegates chosen by Germany’s state parliaments. Its ballot is secret, and the head of state is not elected directly by the public.
Aigner has served as president of the Bavarian Landtag since 2018. She was federal minister for food, agriculture and consumer protection from 2008 to 2013 and previously served in the Bundestag.
Her nomination does not settle the election. The Federal Convention will decide who succeeds Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose term ends on 18 March 2027.
