CDU politician Claus signals interest in Steinmeier's successor

Candidate for Federal President The name Ines Claus is now circulating as of: October 27, 2026 • 8:52 p.m

So far there is only the CSU's proposal: Ilse Aigner should become Federal President. But in the CDU there is a desire for a name from its own ranks. Now Ines is called Claus. Would she have a chance?

The proposal is also surprising for some in the CDU: Ines Claus is currently being considered as a possible successor to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The 49-year-old politician is currently the leader of the CDU parliamentary group in the Hesse state parliament.

Claus emphasized to ARD: "We are currently conducting a profile debate and have identified many important aspects." Now it is important to follow an orderly procedure. Within the party, i.e. with the prime ministers, the leadership bodies of the CDU and CSU and of course with the coalition partner SPD. Regarding being named as a possible candidate for Federal President, Claus said:

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As the largest parliamentary group in the Bundestag, the Union claims the right to make proposals in the next federal presidential election. So far there had only been one proposal from the CSU, the Bavarian state parliament president, Ilse Aigner. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder once again campaigned for Aigner at the CSU party conference last weekend.

Chancellor and CDU party leader Friedrich Merz has not yet commented. Merz is currently on a trip to Asia. The question of the candidate for the office of Federal President is to be discussed in the CDU party committees on November 9th.

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The CSU politician Aigner has gained a lot of political experience as a federal and state minister, and she already holds a non-partisan position as president of the state parliament. The trained electrical engineer is considered hands-on and close to the people. Some in the SPD had also already signaled their support for her possible candidacy.

But recently there had been an increase in voices from the CDU calling for a candidate from the ranks of their own party. In this context, Union faction leader Thorsten Frei on Welt TV named Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, Education Minister Karin Prien and the former CDU leader and Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who now heads the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, as suitable candidates from the ranks of the CDU.

However, Kramp-Karrenbauer and Prien are said to have little support in the CDU for a possible candidacy. Julia Klöckner, on the other hand, could encounter resistance from her coalition partner, the SPD.

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This may also have drawn attention to Ines Claus, who was previously relatively unknown to the general public. Along with Wiebke Winter from Bremen, she is one of only two female CDU parliamentary group leaders in the states. Claus is a lawyer. Some within the CDU leadership see this as a prerequisite in order to be able to appropriately lead the highest state office in politically difficult times.

Others see this claim as an attempt to exclude Aigner or possible other candidates. In addition, CDU circles say that it is entirely conceivable to nominate a male candidate instead of a woman. However, time is running out. The Federal Assembly is scheduled to elect the new head of state on January 30, 2027.

"Very irritated that it should be Mrs. Claus," Omid Nouripour, B'90/The Greens, on the debate about the new leader in the Federal President's Office Matthias Deiß, ARD Berlin, Das Erste, October 28, 2026 • 3:30 a.m. "A person who holds the country together" After Claus was brought into discussion as a possible candidate for the office of Federal President, the first criticism arose. Green party leader Omid Nouripour appeared irritated. "In these times, we need a person who holds the country together, who is supported by everyone," Nouripour told the ARD capital studio on the sidelines of Steinmeier's state visit to China. In his view, such a candidate could be Aigner.

The former Federal Labor Minister and SPD politician Hubertus Heil also spoke up for the CSU politician: "I don't know Mrs. Claus, but I know Ilse Aigner." Heil told the ARD capital studio that he knew Aigner as a committed democrat and woman with heart and mind. He believes it could find cross-party support.

"Aigner woman with heart and mind", Hubertus Heil, SPD, on candidates for federal presidential office Matthias Deiß, ARD Berlin, Das Erste, October 28th, 2026 • 3:30 a.m. Federal presidential election CDU Hesse This topic in the program: tagesschau.de | Federal Presidential successor Ines Claus possible candidate | Oct 27, 2026 | 7:53 p.m