SPD and Greens call for a woman to be elected president of Germany — Der Spiegel

In Germany, representatives of the Social Democratic Party and the Green Party have advocated for a woman to become the next head of state for the first time. The election of the new federal president is scheduled for January 30, Der Spiegel reports.

Position of the SPD and the Greens

Dirk Wiese, parliamentary managing director of the SPD parliamentary group, said that a woman should assume the highest state office. According to him, the candidate should have integrity, authority, prudence and the ability to make well-considered decisions. Wiese also called international recognition and diplomatic skills important.

SPD politician Ralf Stegner noted that Ilse Aigner, president of the Bavarian Landtag from the Christian Social Union, could be a worthy candidate for the position of the first female head of state in Germany's post-war history.

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Britta Haßelmann, co-leader of the Greens' parliamentary group, also supported the idea of electing a woman. She stressed that the new head of state needs clear value-based principles and determination in defending democracy. The Greens did not take part in discussions of specific names.

Election on January 30

The next federal president will be elected by the Federal Convention. It will include 630 members of the Bundestag and the same number of representatives of the states. Incumbent President Frank-Walter Steinmeier cannot run again after two terms.

Ilse Aigner has long been considered by the CSU as a possible candidate for the office. CSU leader Markus Söder again voiced his support for her at the party congress in Munich. At the same time, Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union Friedrich Merz did not say in his speech at the congress when and how the CDU/CSU alliance and the coalition would determine their candidate.