German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is considering the possibility of nominating European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as president of the republic in 2027.
This was revealed by "Spiegel". The media outlet cited government sources.
Among the possible candidates are also Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner, Family Minister Karin Prien and Bavarian State Parliament Speaker Ilse Aigner.
The publication recalls that Merz does not rule out the possibility of electing a woman as president of Germany. In response to a relevant question on August 24 during the German government's open day, he said: "It would be good".
Ursula von der Leyen has been head of the European Commission since 2019, and in July last year she was re-elected for a second five-year term, i.e. by 2029. Spiegel notes that in the event of participation in the presidential elections in 2027, von der Leyen will lose more than half of her mandate as head of the EC, and Germany - "the most important position of power in Brussels".
On the other hand, if she is elected president of the Federal Republic of Germany, this position for the then 69-year-old von der Leyen will become the pinnacle of her career, and she will also become the first woman to hold this position, the newspaper writes.
In the past, von der Leyen became the first female defense minister of Germany, and then the first woman to head the European Commission.
In the EC, the information about her possible appointment as president of Germany was commented on by "Bild" as follows: "Ursula von der Leyen is fully focused on her tasks as Commission President and cannot hold other positions".
Merz may nominate a candidate for the post of president from the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) bloc.
The current president of Germany is 69-year-old Frank-Walter Steinmeier.