Who should be Germany's next Federal President?

Germany's next president must bring courage and clarity to a divided nation

Does Germany Need "a Woman" as Federal President?

Some will no doubt grumble that it should read: "in the office of the Federal President—ess." Fine by me, but that just shifts a traditional debate onto the terrain of linguistic correctness. Others couldn't care less. Either way, my answer is no. Of course, after twelve men in the role, a woman would be more than appropriate in terms of gender representation—gladly the next twelve, too. But which woman, and to what end? Hit me with it, but Alice Weidel is also a woman.

This office doesn't need a gender. A gender identity is just as insufficient as a party identity. What it needs is a person who can intellectually and rhetorically grasp the gravity of our times and our possibilities—and convey them in a way that reaches people, moves them, and spurs constructive change, both individually and collectively.

That may sound naively idealistic, because we all know how it actually works: Friedrich Merz proposes someone, and if he plays his cards right, that someone secures a majority in the vote. But we should at least entertain the possibility that the interests tied to this office extend beyond the parties that deliver the votes—and beyond gender representation alone.

Should it be a political economist from Potsdam with expertise in transformation? A climate activist for whom we lower the age limit? A Swabian Hannah Arendt ultra? A philosopher-statesperson? A contemporary author willing to engage all segments of society—city and country, West and East, and yes, even AfD voters? A liberal-conservative Jewish thinker who embraces Germany's heterogeneous center and its unshakable commitment to Israel?

Every Choice Brings Conflict

Biography is only one facet—both in terms of symbolism and the cultural and competency landscape. Our present is rife with contradictions, and conflicts of interest abound. A core task of the Federal President could be to expose these tensions and help people stop looking away, to accept them and learn to navigate them. The goal shouldn't be to top the polls by playing it safe, but to inject life into public discourse.

Naturally, the usual howls would erupt first: Can they even do that? We've never done it this way! Isn't this "neoliberal" or "leftist"? Aren't we stressed enough as it is?

Look, we're no longer in the cozy position of saying, "Eh, who cares who's Federal President?" Or of spending decades nostalgically praising some "Ruck speech" that changed nothing but was fine in an era when well-meaning words passed for excellence. Now, we actually need that Ruck—that jolt. To achieve it, we must speak honestly, with nuance, constructively, and empathetically, while also tackling problems, goals, and demands head-on to forge paths and solutions.

The right kind of speech for our time acknowledges contradictions—moving beyond the "right speech" of slogans and political correctness. Robert Habeck's videos and public addresses on the defining issues of recent years (Ukraine, Palestine) revealed both the void that existed and the hunger for something more. This kind of self-reflective, measured, intelligent, and courageous discourse must be the benchmark—and the professional qualification—for the next Federal President (f/m/d). I look forward to your application.