Chancellor Friedrich Merz has publicly committed to supporting a woman as the next German Federal President, ending months of caution on the succession debate. He said he would propose a joint candidate from the political center to his party, according to reports by dpa and Reuters from a closed CDU district chairpersons’ conference in Berlin.
“I am committed to the question that it must be a woman,” Merz was quoted as saying by participants. The information was also reported by ARD’s capital bureau.
The CSU has backed Bavarian state parliament President Ilse Aigner, who has received support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Greens. Merz, however, insists that the CDU, as the strongest force in the Federal Convention, holds the right to make the proposal.
Other potential CDU candidates mentioned include Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, Education Minister Karin Prien, former CDU leader and Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, and Hesse’s parliamentary group leader Ines Claus.
A preliminary decision could be made at a meeting of CDU bodies next Monday. Before then, Merz plans to consult the CDU’s state leaders and the CSU, with the aim of reaching a joint proposal from the Union parties. He also wants the Greens to be involved in the search for a candidate.
The Federal Convention is scheduled to decide Steinmeier’s successor on January 30. It consists of the 630 members of the Bundestag and an equal number of delegates from Germany’s federal states. The CDU/CSU and the SPD together hold a majority of around 50 votes in the body.
Several men had previously been considered, including Hesse’s Minister-President Boris Rhein, Constitutional Court President Stephan Harbarth and former Constitutional Court judge Udo di Fabio. Merz’s decision is expected to rule them out of the contest.
Sources: Tagesschau.