Thorsten Frei, the chairman of the CDU parliamentary group, stated that he supports the idea of having a woman become the next Federal President. Though he expressed reservations about mandatory quota discussions or the idea of pre-emptively excluding half the population, Frei emphasized that a female president would be a strong positive, and he would personally support that outcome.
The CDU politician noted that there is no pressing need for a quick decision, since the Federal Assembly will not meet until January 30th, meaning the political pressure is currently nonexistent. When asked about the potential candidacy of Ines Claus, the CDU faction leader from Hessian, Frei refused to participate in the name-dropping, stating that it would not move the current situation forward. He mentioned that several highly qualified female candidates are already under discussion, and he believes the party leaders will propose a strong candidate at the right time. They would subsequently confer with the SPD to ensure the broadest possible consensus.
Frei declined to elevate his party’s claim to the position when pressed on the matter. Ultimately, he stressed that the goal must be to find the most capable person for this challenging role. He concluded that the coming years are likely to be complicated and difficult for society as a whole, suggesting that under these circumstances, the role of the Federal President could take on even greater significance.
