In brief

• Frank-Walter Steinmeier cannot seek a third term, and the Federal Assembly votes on his successor on January 30, 2027, with the new president due to take office on March 19, 2027.
• The CDU and CSU have not agreed on a joint candidate; the CSU backs Bavarian state parliament president Ilse Aigner, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to decide by November.
• Angela Merkel said in the talk show "Bestbesetzung" that only a woman should become head of state, noting that no woman has held the office in the 77 years of the Federal Republic.
• Other CDU names in the debate include Julia Klöckner, Karin Prien, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Ines Claus.

Who could succeed Steinmeier

Frank-Walter Steinmeier has already served two consecutive terms, so the constitution bars him from standing again. The Federal Assembly will elect his successor on January 30, and the new head of state is expected to take office on March 19, 2027 (Germany seeks new head of state – DW). Eligibility is limited to German citizens entitled to vote who are at least 40 years old.

Party disputes inside the conservative bloc

The CDU and its Bavarian sister party CSU, which together form the Christian Democratic bloc, have not agreed on a name. CSU leader Markus Söder has pushed for Ilse Aigner, president of the Bavarian state parliament, and her candidacy was presented at the party congress (У блоці Мерца виникли суперечки через кандидата на посаду президента – Європейська правда) (Steinmeier-Nachfolge: Die Kandidatensuche wird zur Machtfrage – tagesschau.de). Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the CDU have not yet settled on a candidate, and he is expected to decide by November. Names floated within the CDU include Bundestag president Julia Klöckner, Education Minister Karin Prien and former party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (Меркель хоче, щоб наступним президентом Німеччини стала жінка – Європейська правда). Hesse CDU parliamentary group leader Ines Claus has also entered the race.

Söder argued that the CSU has never supplied a chancellor or a federal president, while Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul publicly urged CDU members to show restraint in the debate. Analysts describe the search as a question of power within the coalition (Friedrich Merz macht die Suche nach einer Bundespräsidentin zur Machtprobe – DER SPIEGEL).

Calls for a woman as head of state

Former chancellor Angela Merkel said in the talk show "Bestbesetzung" with Johannes B. Kerner that only a woman should take the post, noting that no woman has ever held the office in the 77 years of the Federal Republic (Angela Merkel wirbt für weibliches Staatsoberhaupt – DER SPIEGEL) (Ex-Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel spricht über ihre Zitteranfälle – DER SPIEGEL). She declined to name anyone. Political scientist Ursula Münch has said the job calls for public recognition, political neutrality, the ability to unite people and good public speaking.

Why the delay matters

Merz's prolonged silence has surprised members of his own party, and critics say the uncertainty sends a poor signal regardless of who is chosen. With the vote three months away, the coalition still has to agree on a candidate who can win a majority in the Federal Assembly.