Overview
- Media reports on 28 October say CDU figure Ines Claus has been floated and she has signalled interest in running while Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s office denies he has endorsed her.
- The CSU has formally proposed Ilse Aigner and she has drawn public support from the SPD and the Greens, giving her an early cross‑party advantage.
- Critics from opposition parties and commentators say Merz’s reluctance to settle the question has highlighted weak control inside the Union and widened internal disagreement.
- The CDU has scheduled deliberations at its presidium and federal board on 9 November and plans to consult state leaders, the SPD and the Greens as it seeks a candidate who can win broad support.
- The Federal Assembly, made up of 630 Bundestag members and 630 state delegates, will vote on 30 January 2027 and the Union‑SPD coalition’s roughly 50‑vote working majority means cross‑party backing will likely decide the outcome.