Friedrich Merz names Ilse Aigner presidential candidate with CSU backing
World
Germany's CDU leader Friedrich Merz has picked Ilse Aigner as his choice for the next president, announcing it at a CDU dinner in Berlin after some party pressure to name a candidate.
Aigner had already gotten support from Markus Soeder of the CSU, showing strong backing from both major conservative parties.
Aigner would be 1st CSU president
Aigner, 61, is currently the speaker of Bavaria's parliament and was a federal minister under Angela Merkel.
If she wins, she'd be the first CSU member to become president, a mostly ceremonial but symbolically important role seen as Germany's moral guide.
With current president Frank-Walter Steinmeier stepping down on March 18, 2027, all eyes are now on whether Aigner will make history.