CDU clashes with Söder over German presidential candidate nomination

CSU leader Söder and Ilse Aigner at a Starkbieranstich event at the Paulaner brewery. Source: Peter Kneffel/dpa

CSU leader Markus Söder is advocating for Bavarian State Parliament President Ilse Aigner as the next Federal President. However, the CDU apparently wants a say in the matter.

CDU Claims Right to Nominate Its Own Candidate

The CDU is now openly asserting its claim to nominate its own candidate for the office of Federal President. Until now, only one name had been publicly mentioned within the Union: that of Bavarian State Parliament President Ilse Aigner, who is a CSU member.

According to sources within CDU party circles in Berlin, speaking to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ): "The CDU certainly claims the right to nominate its own candidate for the office of Federal President." WELT's partner publication Politico also reported hearing this.

This does not yet constitute a rejection of Aigner by CDU chairman and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz. However, he evidently does not want to be further pressured by the CSU. According to FAZ information, Merz has not yet made a decision about whom he will put forward.

Timing of the CDU Statement

The CDU's statement came shortly before the planned speech by CSU chairman and Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder at the CSU party conference in Munich. Although the CDU had clearly signaled to Söder that he should exercise restraint in promoting Aigner at the party conference, the CSU chairman had announced in an interview with the Augsburger Allgemeine on Thursday that he would do exactly that.

Related article:

• Söder strengthened: How the CSU defies the Union's misery (Weltplus)

Söder's Endorsement of Aigner

Söder described Aigner as a "convincing solution." He pointed out that the State Parliament President enjoys "high sympathy and great acceptance" not only within his party but also among Social Democrats.

The Union's Nomination Rights

The Union holds the right to propose candidates in the coalition's candidate selection process. This is decisive for two reasons:

• The Union has more members than the SPD in the Federal Convention.
• The SPD already provides the Federal President with Steinmeier — whose party membership is suspended during his term — and is therefore not next in line.

Polling Data on Aigner

In the most recent "Bayerntrend" survey by the polling institute Infratest dimap, Aigner actually enjoyed high cross-party support for a candidacy:

• 59 percent believed she would be a good successor to incumbent Steinmeier
• 22 percent considered her a poor choice

Support for Aigner broke down by party affiliation as follows:

| Party | Support for Aigner | |-------|-------------------| | CSU | 87% | | Free Voters | 79% | | Greens | 64% | | SPD | 60% | | AfD | 24% |

Only AfD supporters viewed the matter differently, with just 24 percent considering Aigner a good Federal President.

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