Politics · Germany · 1 day ago
Stegner criticizes Merz over expected Aigner nomination
Ilse Aigner is expected to be proposed as the Union’s candidate for German president by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The Union is the conservative alliance of the CDU and CSU, and Aigner is the president of Bavaria’s state parliament.
The next president will succeed Frank-Walter Steinmeier and be chosen by the Federal Convention on January 30.
SPD politician Ralf Stegner called the selection process a sign of weak leadership, saying Merz appeared to be driven by events and by CSU leader Markus Söder.
Stegner said Aigner herself would be a good choice, praising her integrity and ability to win respect across party lines.
Green Party politicians also criticized the Union’s handling of the search as unprofessional.
The CDU leadership is due to meet in Berlin that evening, where Merz is expected to propose Aigner as the Union’s joint candidate.
SPD politician Ralf Stegner accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz of “leadership weakness” over the Union’s process for choosing a candidate for federal president.
Merz was expected to propose Bavarian state parliament president Ilse Aigner as the Union’s joint candidate at a meeting in Berlin on Sunday evening.
Stegner said Aigner would be a good choice, describing her as intelligent, principled, respected across party lines and down-to-earth.
Green politicians also criticized Merz and the Union’s handling of the nomination process.
The Federal Assembly is scheduled to elect the next federal president on January 30.
- Who
- SPD politician Ralf Stegner criticized Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz. Ilse Aigner is the expected Union candidate.
- What
- Stegner said the nomination process showed “leadership weakness.” Merz was expected to propose Aigner as the Union’s joint candidate.
- When
- November 8, 2026. The CDU leadership meeting was expected that evening.
- Where
- Berlin.
- Why
- The Union was selecting a candidate for the federal presidency and a successor to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Critics of the nomination process
Merz and the Union
Handling of the process
Critics of the nomination process
Stegner said it showed leadership weakness and that Merz appeared driven by the process.
Merz and the Union
Merz had referred to the agreed procedure rather than taking a concrete position earlier in the debate.
Aigner’s candidacy
Critics of the nomination process
Stegner said Aigner would be a good choice as the first woman federal president.
Merz and the Union
Merz was expected to propose Aigner as the Union’s joint candidate.
Markus Söder put Ilse Aigner forward as a possible candidate.
The CDU leadership was due to meet in Berlin, where Merz was expected to propose Aigner.
The Federal Assembly is scheduled to elect the next federal president.
- Expected candidate
- Ilse Aigner, Bavarian state parliament president
- Critic
- Ralf Stegner, SPD politician
- Expected meeting
- CDU leadership in Berlin, November 8, 2026
- Election date
- January 30
- Other critics
- Omid Nouripour and Britta Haßelmann of the Greens
2 sources
What people are saying
The whole process shows the leadership weakness that is a central problem of this governing coalition.
Friedrich Merz also appears, thanks to Markus Söder, to be driven by this selection process.
An important personnel process has once again slipped away from Friedrich Merz.
The Union’s and Friedrich Merz’s unprofessional search for a candidate is unworthy of this office.