Politics
Ilse Aigner, a politician from the southern German state of Bavaria, is emerging as a potential successor to incumbent President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Ilse Aigner, a politician from the southern German state of Bavaria, is emerging as a potential successor to incumbent President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Although the presidency in the Federal Republic of Germany is largely ceremonial, the president serves as the country’s head of state and is also regarded as a moral figurehead for the nation. According to reports, German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz also supports Aigner’s candidacy. Aigner is the leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the CDU’s sister party, and the President of the Bavarian State Parliament. A special Federal Convention, scheduled to convene on January 30, 2027, will elect Germany’s next president. Since the CDU, CSU and their coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), hold a majority, Aigner’s candidacy is attracting considerable attention.
Aigner is an unconventional politician in several respects, particularly in Germany, where a law degree is often considered an important qualification for entering politics. The 61-year-old politician does not hold a university degree. She trained as a telecommunications technician and worked in her parents’ electrical appliances business. Later, she spent several years working for Eurocopter, a military helicopter manufacturer now part of the Airbus Group. There, she was involved in the development and production of electrical components.
In 1994, she entered the Bavarian State Parliament as a CSU candidate. From 1998 to 2013, she served as a member of the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag). Between 2008 and 2013, she also served in then-Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet as Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. Both portfolios were considered particularly sensitive, but Aigner handled her responsibilities without any major crisis and was generally regarded as an effective administrator. In October this year, during a CSU meeting in Munich, Merz mentioned Aigner in his opening address. Delegates responded with a standing ovation, warmly welcoming the experienced female politician.
Aigner could become Germany’s first female president. She would also be the first person to hold the office who has never been married. Although female candidates have appeared in almost every presidential election since 1999, they have generally represented parties that lacked the majority required to secure victory. For years, there have therefore been calls for the major political parties to put forward a woman as a serious joint candidate. Aigner has long been held in high regard within conservative political circles.
In January, the Bavarian newspaper Merkur published an account of Aigner’s interaction with students during a school visit. Responding to questions from fourth-grade pupils, she said that she had never planned her political career in advance. However, she had never been among those who preferred to remain silent, adding that this quality had helped her reach various positions in public life. At the same time, she has demonstrated that she also knows when silence is the more appropriate response. During internal discussions within the CDU and CSU over the selection of a presidential candidate, she refrained from making any public comments. According to several observers, by nominating Aigner, Merz may also be paving the way for a future arrangement in which, if the CDU/CSU alliance wins the next federal election, the chancellorship would go to a CDU figure. However, the final decision will be made on January 30, while Germany’s new federal president is expected to formally assume office in mid-March.
