CDU agrees to back CSU's Ilse Aigner for German president, German media report

German media reported on Friday, 6 November 2026, that Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU had decided or agreed to back Ilse Aigner for German president. The existence of these reports is confirmed, but the decision itself is not. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include an on-the-record confirmation from Merz or any CDU official.

Aigner is a politician of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) and a former minister. The CDU and CSU are sister parties.

What is reported

According to Deutsche Welle, Spiegel, the Süddeutsche Zeitung and the DPA news agency cited CDU sources as saying the party's leadership had decided to put Aigner forward. Reuters also reported that the CDU had agreed to back her, attributing this to German media. The reports do not name the CDU sources or say how many there are. They also do not specify whether the German media accounts were independently sourced.

DPA reported that Merz will officially recommend Aigner at a CDU leadership meeting in Berlin on Sunday and Monday, according to Deutsche Welle. Deutsche Welle also said the CDU and CSU want to nominate a joint candidate. According to Reuters, the reported decision followed weeks of tension between the two parties. The reports do not describe the cause of that tension.

The Bundesversammlung will elect the president on 30 January 2027, according to Deutsche Welle. It said the body consists of all 630 Bundestag members and another 630 people representing the German states. The CDU/CSU and SPD combined have a majority of roughly 50 seats, it reported. Deutsche Welle also said Merz is expected to seek support from the Greens, without attributing this to a named source.

Aigner, 61, is the speaker of Bavaria's state parliament and spent five years as federal agriculture minister under then-Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to Deutsche Welle. It said she would be the first woman and first CSU politician to serve as post-war Germany's head of state if chosen. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is nearing the end of his second five-year term in a largely ceremonial office, it reported.

What each side says

• CSU: It favors Aigner, according to Deutsche Welle, which says this has long been clear.
• Party officials: On the record, they would neither confirm nor deny the reports and pointed only to the upcoming meetings on Monday, according to Deutsche Welle.
• SPD: Chairman Lars Klingbeil said at an event in Berlin: "If the CDU steering committee does indeed officially assert itself on Monday and put forward Ilse Aigner, then on behalf of the SPD I can only say that we would welcome this and support it", according to Deutsche Welle.

The reports do not include a statement from Aigner or say whether she has agreed to run. They do not include a position from the Greens, describe any talks with them, or name any rival candidates.

Analysis

Monday's CDU meetings are the next clear test of these reports. If the leadership formally puts Aigner forward, Klingbeil's conditional support would point toward backing from the CDU/CSU and SPD, which reportedly hold a majority of roughly 50 seats in the Bundesversammlung. Any Green involvement could broaden that support, but the reports do not describe talks or a Green position. Other outcomes also remain possible, as Aigner's own intentions are not reported and no on-the-record CDU confirmation is included. The candidacy of other contenders is also unclear. Any assessment of the nomination's political significance depends on these unresolved points.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.