What will a female president mean for Germany and Europe?

Friedrich Merz has nominated Bavarian conservative Ilse Aigner for Germany’s presidency, a move that has drawn backing from his own party plus the Social Democrats and the Greens, making her all but certain to become the country’s first female head of state. The cross-party support marks a rare moment of unity for Merz’s embattled coalition, which had been consumed by months of internal infighting. The nomination matters because the largely ceremonial presidency carries moral authority that could help stabilize a fractious government and shape Germany’s voice in Europe at a sensitive political moment. Watch whether the broad coalition behind Aigner holds through the formal selection process and whether the détente extends to the policy disputes that have strained Merz’s alliance.