The AfD is reportedly considering nominating its own candidate for the office of President of Germany, according to party and parliamentary group leader Alice Weidel. After its recent electoral successes, the party will have about a fifth of the seats in the 2027 Federal Convention, making it more influential than ever.
Weidel told the “Tagesspiegel” (Sunday edition) that the Alternative for Germany fundamentally supports having the President elected directly by the people. She said that, since a majority for a constitutional amendment to enable direct election is currently not foreseeable, the party will still think about a suitable candidate who can unite the country instead of dividing it.
“We believe the President must be a respected figure who stands above all parties and forces, respected across the entire nation, not a dis‑involved party politician who abuses the highest office to further partisan politics” Weidel added.
She described the head of state’s primary mission as guarding the rule of law and the constitution, and calling the ruling powers back into line when they abuse the powers that citizens bestow on them for a limited time. Moreover, Weidel stressed that a President should be capable, both rhetorically and intellectually, of communicating messages that guide the nation beyond the day‐to‑day.
According to calculations by the election‑rights platform “wahlrecht.de” the AfD can expect roughly 258 of the 1,260 seats in the 2027 Federal Convention. In the last 2022 convention the party held 151 seats out of 1,472 electors-about every tenth. The CDU/CSU is projected to have around 435 electors, the SPD 252 to 253. This could push the AfD ahead of the SPD as the second‑largest faction in the convention for the first time. The Greens are expected to secure about 193 seats, the Left roughly 78.
The Federal Convention consists of the 630 members of the Bundestag plus 630 delegates chosen by state parliaments, reflecting their composition. In the 2022 election the AfD nominated economist Max Otte, who received 140 votes and lost to incumbent Frank‑Walter Steinmeier. In 2017 Albrecht Glaser ran for the party, receiving only 42 votes; Steinmeier again won that election.