The CDU women’s group in the German Parliament is making a strong case for nominating a female candidate for the position of Federal President. Mechthild Heil, chair of the group, stated that denying women access to the highest office in the state for 77 years is “behaviour that our society can no longer accept.”
Speaking to the media, Heil pointed out that since 1949, there has been an uninterrupted succession of federal presidents, many of whom were successful or less successful. Therefore, she argued, gender does not determine success or failure, concluding, “I welcome the candidacy of a woman as Federal President.”
Anja Weisgerber, Heil’s Deputy, added that electing a woman to the presidency would be “a strong and overdue signal.” She stressed that competence, experience, and personality should be the deciding factors in the election. Weisgerber affirmed that “there are many excellently suitable women who meet these requirements.” The GdF (Group of Women) comprises all 47 female parliamentarians from the CDU and CSU within the Bundestag and is one of the faction’s six sociological groups.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had previously expressed his “sympathy” for a female candidate during a summer interview with ARD. However, he qualifies his support by adding that, given the duties of the head of state, “gender is less important than personality.” Given the majority circumstances, the Union faction holds the central role in selecting a promising candidate for the election, which is scheduled for February.
