Merz’s conservatives poised to nominate Germany’s first woman president

Bavarian politician Ilse Aigner is poised to be nominated by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives as Germany's first female federal president, with one center-left state premier calling her "the perfect candidate." The move would mark a historic first for Europe's largest economy and signal Merz's influence over a largely ceremonial but symbolically important office. Aigner, a longtime CSU figure, would need to secure backing in the Federal Convention, the body that elects the president. Watch for formal nomination signals from the conservative bloc and any cross-party endorsements that could smooth her path to the presidency.