The idea of Ilse Aigner, currently the president of the Bavarian State Parliament and affiliated with the CSU, running for President of Germany has encountered some resistance within the CDU. Commenting about the discussion with the “Stern” CDU advisor Philipp Amthor suggested that while Markus Söder frequently makes excellent suggestions, the current situation has several qualified female and male candidates under consideration. He reassured that the process would work out smoothly, adding only general support for a woman assuming the role in Bellevue Palace and stating he was “surely not the first to see it as a good idea”.
Söder himself had previously backed Aigner’s potential candidacy in the “Münchner Merkur”. This initiative received immediate support from other CSU politicians and former Federal Minister of Agriculture. However, the push originating from Munich met with surprise among the CDU leadership. The CDU possesses several prominent female figures with their own ambitions, including Family Minister Karin Prien. Furthermore, it has reportedly been revealed that Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, director of the Adenauer Foundation, has conducted preliminary, cautious internal discussions.
More openly, the First Parliamentary Secretary of the CDU parliamentary group, Steffen Bilger, stated to T-Online on Friday that he welcomes any suitable proposal. He confirmed a broader party strategy, adding that the CDU and CSU plan to develop a personnel recommendation over the summer.
However, another union official, the CDU Vice-Parliamentary Secretary Sepp Müller, had previously voiced explicit support for Söder’s initiative. Müller stated that he had known Aigner, both in the Bundestag and as President of the Bavarian State Parliament, as an integrative and citizen-minded person. He argued that she possesses exactly the qualities required for the office and pledged his clear, heartfelt support if she decides to run.