Three conservative women are competing to succeed President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, exposing divisions within Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union as the party's presidium deliberates on a successor .

The CDU presidium is weighing candidates for the office, with Ilse Aigner among the women vying for the post . Merz announced on Tuesday that he would propose a woman as Germany's next president. The Federal Assembly will elect Steinmeier's successor on Jan. 30, 2027.

Ott, the Social Democratic Party's lead candidate, has endorsed Aigner for the highest state office . Merz's silence on the candidacy is fueling a power struggle within the CDU .