Politics · Germany · 4 hrs ago
Söder urges CSU to fight extremism and backs Aigner for president
At the CSU party conference in Germany, party leader Markus Söder urged his party and other centrist parties to oppose extremists on the left and right.
He pointed to the AfD’s gains, including in Saxony-Anhalt, and warned that the political situation was becoming more serious.
Söder also repeated a proposal to withhold federal-state funding from states led by extremist parties, though legal experts have criticised the idea.
He argued against banning the AfD, saying a ban could strengthen its standing, and instead called on the Union to improve its work and win support.
Söder again backed Bavarian state parliament president Ilse Aigner to become Germany’s next federal president.
The choice is not made by the CSU conference, and the CDU has not settled on a candidate; CDU leader Friedrich Merz was due to attend the conference on Saturday.
CSU leader Markus Söder urged his party and other centrist parties to fight political extremism from the left and right.
At the CSU party conference in Munich, Söder again backed Bavarian state parliament president Ilse Aigner as a possible next federal president.
Söder said the decision on the presidency would be made elsewhere, and Aigner said party leaders would decide.
Aigner said she was pleased by the delegates’ response and called it recognition of her more than 40 years of work for the CSU.
Söder also proposed blocking state financial transfers to states governed by extremists, including those led by the AfD or the Left Party.
- Who
- CSU leader Markus Söder, Bavarian state parliament president Ilse Aigner and CSU delegates.
- What
- Söder urged a fight against extremism and backed Aigner as a possible next federal president.
- When
- 23 October 2026.
- Where
- The CSU party conference in Munich.
- Why
- Söder said the Union needed to confront political extremism and regain strength; he said he would welcome Aigner becoming federal president.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Söder delivered a speech at the CSU party conference urging a fight against extremism.
Söder backed Aigner as a possible next federal president, drawing strong applause from delegates.
Aigner said she was pleased by the party conference’s response and that party leaders would decide the question.
Söder said he would repeat his support for Aigner when CDU leader Friedrich Merz attended the party conference.
- Location
- Munich
- Date
- 23 October 2026
- Speaker
- Markus Söder, CSU leader
- Proposed candidate
- Ilse Aigner, Bavarian state parliament president
- Decision on the presidency
- Party leaders will decide
- Planned guest
- Friedrich Merz, CDU leader, was due at the conference on Saturday
8 sources
Söder bringt sie als Bundespräsidentin ins Spiel - So reagiert Aigner bei BILD
CSU-Parteitag: Söder fordert Kampf gegen AfD und Linke
CSU-Parteitag: Söder wirbt für Aigner als Bundespräsidentin
Söder wirbt für Aigner - und fordert Kampf gegen Extremisten
What people are saying
Wenn wir ehrlich sind, sind wir mitten im Orkan
Keine Kohle für Extremisten
Ich habe mich wirklich sehr über die Reaktion des Parteitags gefreut. Das ist auch eine gewisse Bestätigung nach über 40 Jahren Arbeit für die CSU
Der Parteitag wird aber nicht entscheiden über diese Frage. Das ist Aufgabe der Parteivorsitzenden.
Posts on X
#Söder wählt beim #CSUPT einen Kniff, als er für @IlseAigner als BuPrä wirbt. Er würde sich „von Herzen freuen“, wisse aber: Die Entscheidung werde „woanders gefällt“. Damit ordnet er sich der CDU unter. Aber er sendet auch das Signal: Wenn Aigner es nicht wird, ist #Merz schuld