https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/germany-news-presidential-candidate-ilse-aigner-meets-with-parties-in-bundestag-but-not-afd-or-linkeContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/germany-news-presidential-candidate-ilse-aigner-meets-with-parties-in-bundestag-but-not-afd-or-linkehttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/germany-news-presidential-candidate-ilse-aigner-meets-with-parties-in-bundestag-but-not-afd-or-linke#u201638Sun, 15 Nov 2026 03:32:16 +0000Chancellor Friedrich Merz has nominated Bavarian conservative Ilse Aigner for the German presidency, uniting the governing coalition behind her candidacy. Aigner, currently president of the Bavarian state parliament, would become the country's first female head of state if elected by the Federal Assembly. She is now meeting with parties represented in the Bundestag to build support, though the far-right AfD and the Left Party are excluded from these talks. The nomination signals a historic shift for the largely ceremonial but symbolically important office.Why it mattersThe German presiden