German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he wants a woman to be Germany’s next president, who would be the first woman to hold the office. (Foto: Instagram)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he wants a woman to become the country’s next president, which would make her the first woman to hold the office. He made the statement Monday, Nov. 2, at a closed-door meeting with leaders of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in Berlin. According to accounts from participants cited by German media, Merz said, “My decision is made on one point: It has to be a woman.” He also said he plans to put forward a candidate acceptable to the political center.
The push comes amid growing calls for a woman to succeed Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who has held the presidency since 2017 and cannot seek a third consecutive term. The election is scheduled for Jan. 30, 2027, and the new president is expected to take office in March. Merz argues that the CDU, as the largest force in the Federal Convention, should have the right to nominate a candidate for the conservative bloc.
That position differs from the approach of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the CDU’s allied party in Bavaria. The CSU has put forward Ilse Aigner, the president of Bavaria’s state parliament. Aigner is viewed as able to work across party lines and has support from some members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens.
Several women are also being considered within the CDU: Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, Education Minister Karin Prien, former Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, and Ines Claus, leader of the Christian Democratic parliamentary group in Hesse. The party’s main governing bodies are due to meet again Nov. 9, when discussions on a choice could begin to take shape. Before then, Merz plans to speak with regional leaders of both the CDU and the CSU.
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel has also recently supported the possibility of a woman becoming president. In an interview with MagentaTV, she said Germany should ask whether “perhaps the time has finally come” for a woman to take the position. In the 77-year history of the Federal Republic of Germany, every president has been a man.
Although the presidency is primarily representative, the head of state has important institutional duties, including signing laws and treaties and formally appointing ministers. The Federal Convention that will choose Steinmeier’s successor will have 1,260 members: the 630 members of the Bundestag and an equal number of representatives appointed by Germany’s 16 states.
