German poll finds 47% view Merkel as fit president, 74% indifferent to gender of successor

A Forsa survey conducted on 5‑6 August with 1,000 German respondents shows that 47 % consider former Chancellor Angela Merkel suitable for the role of Federal President, while 48 % deem her unsuitable and 5 % have no opinion. The poll also lists other potential candidates, with Bavarian Landtag President Ilse Aigner receiving 26 % support and entertainer Hape Kerkeling 24 %, among lower percentages for Julia Klöckner, Annegret Kramp‑Karrenbauer, Markus Söder and others.

The same study reveals that 74 % of Germans are indifferent to whether the next president after Frank‑Walter Steinmeier is a man or a woman. Only 19 % would prefer a female president and 5 % a male one. Among women respondents, 27 % favor a female president versus 68 % indifferent; among men, 11 % favor a woman versus 81 % indifferent. Preference for a female president is highest among supporters of the Left (43 %) and the Greens (39 %).