SPÜ leader Lars Klingbeil says it is “high time” for the next Federal President to be a woman. The time is “ripe” for a woman as head of state, says Britta Hasselmann, leader of the Green Party. That’s what he argues too Chancellor. And his partner, the CSU chairman.

Nothing has aged as badly as the sentence that “the time is ripe for a woman in this task.” Maybe the time would have been ripe 30 years ago. There was also a well-respected candidate.

The gender of Steinmeier’s successor is irrelevant

In 1994, it was not Hildegard Hamm-Brücher who was elected head of state, but Roman Herzog. That was definitely a good decision. It would have been an excellent choice even if Herzog had been a woman.

The gender of Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s successor is irrelevant. On the contrary, it is disparaging to believe that a woman now finally has to prove that she is suitable for the highest state office. The evidence has been proven for more than 60 years.

In 1972, Annemarie Renger was elected the first female speaker of parliament. The social democrat, national-patriotic and social, was the first woman in the world to hold the second highest state office in a democracy.

She did it with intelligence and humor. Gerhard Schröder, who still had a tendency to be rude, had to be warned by her during his time as Juso chairman that he should come properly dressed for the swearing-in of the Federal Chancellor.

Merkel, von der Leyen, Lagard: Women have proven themselves

Alice Schwarzer has just said in a “Spiegel” podcast that Angela Merkel, as Germany’s first female chancellor, has changed a lot for women: Immediately after the election, girls in her village built a “Schnee Merkel” instead of snowmen. Merkel was a “role model” for girls and women – perhaps even “against her will”.

Angela Merkel, Ursula von der Leyen, Christine Lagarde – for many years, women have demonstrated nationally and internationally how natural it is to be a top political woman. There is no need for another demonstration – this time in the office of a Federal President.

It’s the old, antiquated quota fights. From the mouths of men like Friedrich Merz, there is also something patronizing about giving the impression that one has understood the spirit of the times. The spirit has long since moved on.

There is definitely a need for feminism. The fact that a Green foreign minister did not really speak out loudly on behalf of Iranian women shows the gap. As is the taboo approach to patriarchal beliefs, which ultimately endangers women.

The current debate seems shameful

But: The next Federal President should not be convincing based on gender, but rather as head of state. The current debate alone seems shameful – as if it were gender and not qualifications that mattered. Perhaps Steinmeier’s administration also contributed to the belief that whoever was president didn’t matter. Which it isn’t.

The biggest upheaval in Germany since the Industrial Revolution 150 years ago is currently underway. No stone will be left unturned. Our jobs will change, probably personal relationships too, and for some, sex too.

The robot on the deserted assembly line of the car factory is becoming the norm, as is the care robot. Artificial intelligence has long since moved into law firms.

For the moment, it’s enough for your imagination to watch the YouTube video about the “Unitree G1” – the latest version of a Chinese humanoid robot. After that you can guess what’s coming. And what’s up.

Knowledge of AI and a poetic language

It would be nice if the next Federal President knew something about AI (Artificial Intelligence) matters, especially since the Chancellor is clearly having difficulties with it.

It would be nice if the next Federal President had the gift of poetic language, unlike the rather dull incumbent. Because here, a head of state doesn’t have much more influence than his linguistic power. Roman Herzog, the confident, precise top Bavarian lawyer, was a role model here. Like the theologian Joachim Gauck.

So both ideas stuck: Herzog’s “ruck” against the republic frozen in prosperity, Gauck’s “Our heart is wide, our possibilities are finite” against migrant idealism.

It would be nice if the next Federal President wasn’t so caught up in the narrow Berlin political mindset. Characterized by the city in which problems are more conjured up than solved. You should dare to go to Munich more.

How about a female entrepreneur? Or a writer?

A representative of meritocracy, coupled with confident expectations of the future, would also be nice, at least better than a mental state bureaucrat. On the contrary: distance from the state would be good, critical distance from its institutions, both national and international.

How about a female entrepreneur? Or a writer? With her novel “Unterleuten”, Juli Zeh has contributed more to understanding the AfD milieu than any politician who bans parties. And Ferdinand von Schirach, with his pieces, both analog and digital, is closer to the people than Bärbel Bas.

Personality and profile, that’s what should matter. We can’t care about gender. In view of the boring political-ritual Berlin bubble debate: When it comes to our highest state office, we citizens simply deserve more respect.