Chancellor MERZ, who also chairs the CDU, on the 9th formally nominated Ilse Aigner, speaker of the Bavarian state parliament, as his candidate for the next German federal president. If elected she would become Germany’s first female head of state. MERZ announced the nomination at a joint news conference, saying that amid overlapping geopolitical crises and rising domestic extremism Germany needs a unifying president to guide the public; he described Aigner as experienced and capable of winning

Chancellor MERZ, who also chairs the CDU, on the 9th formally nominated Ilse Aigner, speaker of the Bavarian state parliament, as his candidate for the next German federal president. If elected she would become Germany’s first female head of state. MERZ announced the nomination at a joint news conference, saying that amid overlapping geopolitical crises and rising domestic extremism Germany needs a unifying president to guide the public; he described Aigner as experienced and capable of winning broad public support.