Markus Söder backs Ilse Aigner as German presidential candidate
In an ARD summer interview on 2 August 2026, Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder said he is firmly convinced that Chancellor Friedrich Merz will remain in office and dismissed speculation about a leadership change. He defended Merz against criticism, warned that the pension‑rent package must not be reopened, and said the recent layoffs at BMW would not threaten the survival of the major German automakers, adding that both BMW and Audi will endure. Söder also called for a revision of the e‑car subsidy so that larger vehicles can benefit.
Söder endorsed Ilse Aigner as a strong candidate for the Bundespräsidentenwahl, stating that a woman should hold the office and that Aigner would be an excellent president. Several SPD politicians – party chairman Sebastian Roloff, Landtags vice‑president Markus Rinderspacher and Fürth mayor Thomas Jung – also voiced support for Aigner, highlighting her experience, integrity and cross‑party appeal.
Political scientist Constantin Wurthmann said there is no immediate danger to Merz’s chancellorship but warned that failure to keep promises could lead to a “Schiffbruch”. He noted ambitions among other ministers such as Hendrik Wüst and Markus Söder and expressed doubt that the CDU would hand over the chancellorship without contest.
Entities: Audi · BMW · Bundespräsidentin · CDU · CDU/CSU · Christian Social Union (CSU) · Constantin Wurthmann · Daniel Funke · Friedrich Merz · Germany · Ilse Aigner · Jens Spahn
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Söder warned against unraveling the pension package while discussing the presidential endorsement. (c7bef07c-2796-4da7-bdbf-fa3797b0efad, 4f4603ac-d824-4b41-8edf-65bdfac05fbc, 7304ae2c-1c6c-484f-85db-839f0a218890, 8be514)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Markus Söder publicly endorsed Ilse Aigner as a candidate for Bundespräsidentin. (c7bef07c-2796-4da7-bdbf-fa3797b0efad, 4f4603ac-d824-4b41-8edf-65bdfac05fbc, 7304ae2c-1c6c-484f-85db-839f0a218890, 8be514)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed openness to Ilse Aigner’s candidacy for president. (4f971eaa-6f6d-4883-b1ee-9d49e3bef017)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Söder reported receiving positive signals from the SPD about Aigner’s candidacy. (c7bef07c-2796-4da7-bdbf-fa3797b0efad, 4f4603ac-d824-4b41-8edf-65bdfac05fbc, 7304ae2c-1c6c-484f-85db-839f0a218890, 8be514)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Söder said the next German president should be a woman. (c7bef07c-2796-4da7-bdbf-fa3797b0efad, 4f4603ac-d824-4b41-8edf-65bdfac05fbc, 7304ae2c-1c6c-484f-85db-839f0a218890, 8be514)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Markus Söder said he is convinced Friedrich Merz will remain chancellor. (Söder)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Constantin Wurthmann warned that the CDU could suffer a “Schiffbruch” if promises are not kept. (Wurthmann)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Markus Söder said BMW and Audi will survive despite recent layoffs. (Söder)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Markus Söder said Ilse Aigner would be a good candidate for the German presidency. (Söder)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Markus Söder warned that the pension (rent) package could be tightened. (Söder)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Markus Söder said the next German president should be a woman. (Söder)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Political scientist Constantin Wurthmann said there is no immediate danger to Friedrich Merz’s chancellorship. (Wurthmann)