Ilse Aigner elected president of the Bavarian state parliament

On 5 November 2018, the newly elected Bavarian Landtag (state parliament) met for its first session after the state election of 14 October. Its members chose Ilse Aigner of the CSU, the Christian Social Union, which has long dominated Bavarian politics, as the new parliamentary president. She succeeded her party colleague Barbara Stamm, who had held the office since 2008.

Aigner was already a well-known figure at the time. She had served as Federal Minister of Agriculture in Angela Merkel's government from 2008 to 2013, and later as a minister in the Bavarian state government, most recently responsible for housing, construction and transport. She also served as deputy state premier for a period. Moving to the Landtag presidency meant leaving the cabinet for the second-highest representative office in the state, in which she chairs sessions and represents the parliament publicly.

The election came at a turning point for Bavaria, as the CSU lost its absolute majority in the vote and entered a coalition with the Free Voters. Aigner has remained Landtag president since, which is why she is now mentioned as a possible candidate for higher national office.