{
  "id": 18739195,
  "title": "Bundespräsidentenwahl: Ungekürte Kandidatin Ilse Aigner - Kritik an Kanzler Merz",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/bundesprasidentenwahl-ungekurte-kandidatin-ilse-aigner-kritik-an",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-07T15:14:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/bundespraesidentenwahl-ungekuerte-kandidatin-ilse-aigner-kritik-an-kanzler-merz/100268048.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Ilse Aigner, a 61-year-old Bavarian parliamentary president, has garnered widespread support for her candidacy as the Bundespräsidentin. The CSU and Germany's largest sister party, the CDU, have nominated her for the role, making her the first woman to hold such a position. Merz, the CDU leader and Chancellor, is reportedly proposing her nomination to the CDU leadership, which convenes on Sunday and Monday in Berlin. The Green Party has criticized Merz's approach, with former Green Party leader Omid Nouripour describing Merz's behavior as an \"unprofessional search.\" Former Green Party chief Britta Hasselmann compared the CDU and Merz's handling of the nomination process to be unworthy. The CDU's foreign minister, Roderich Kiesewetter, also criticized Merz and the upcoming Bundestag elections in 2029. The SPD has already announced its support for Aigner's candidacy. While the Union and SPD have a majority in the Bundesversammlung, which elects the successor of Frank-Walter Steinmeier on January 30th, AfD and the Left parties have shown no sympathy for Aigner. The CSU leader, Markus Söder, had previously introduced Aigner into the race, and Merz finally committed to a female candidate.",
  "summary": "Während die Zustimmung zu Ilse Aigner als neue Bundespräsidentin stieg und stieg, hat der Kanzler immer weiter geschwiegen. Kritik kontert Merz mit einem Hinweis auf das vereinbarte Verfahren.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}