German Politics on the Verge of a Historic Shift as the Next Head of State May be a Woman
The President of the German Bundestag, Julia Klöckner, has expressed her support for a female candidate to succeed the current President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is set to leave office in 2027. This historic shift is long overdue, according to Klöckner, as the list of German presidents since 1949 has been dominated by men, with no woman yet holding the office.
The CDU and the Green Party have both been vocal in their support for a female candidate, with the Green Party’s Fraktionschefin, Britta Haßelmann, emphasizing the need for a woman to hold the highest office in the state. Haßelmann highlighted the lack of diversity in the current government, pointing out that the Chancellor’s inner circle is composed only of men and that the only woman in the coalition’s executive committee is from the SPD.
The FDP’s Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann suggested that the time has come to put forward exclusively female candidates, citing the many qualified women who could be considered for the position. Strack-Zimmermann also noted that men have had 78 years to recognize that they are not the only ones suitable for the job.
The push for a female candidate has gained momentum, with the CDU’s Generalsekretär, Carsten Linnemann and the former Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, previously expressing their support for a woman to hold the office. The potential nomination of a female candidate is seen as a long-overdue step towards greater equality in the highest office of the state.