Chancellor Merz backs Ilse Aigner as Germany's first female President

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has backed Bavarian politician Ilse Aigner as his preferred candidate for the country’s presidency, bringing her closer to becoming Germany’s first woman head of state.Merz conveyed his support for Aigner, 61, at a dinner hosted by his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin on Sunday, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The chancellor, who also leads the CDU, is expected to make his endorsement official on Monday, the person said.The move follows pressure on Merz from within his party after he failed to put forward a CDU candidate.

He had initially held back from supporting Aigner, whose candidature was promoted by Markus Soeder, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the CDU’s Bavarian sister party.Merz and Aigner share close personal ties and frequently meet in her constituency in Bavaria, where the chancellor has a holiday home, an official said, Bloomberg reported.Aigner has support across party lines, including among conservatives, Social Democrats and Greens.