The Hamburg drag queen Olivia Jones has signaled interest in the office of the German Federal President. “I could imagine doing that,” the entertainer told the Hamburg regional desk of “t-online.” “I would definitely be colorful and would fill this role with a lot of heart.”
With her candidacy, Jones ties a political message to her bid. “That would be a wonderful signal to the whole world,” she said. “Diversity and democracy are fighting for their very existence worldwide and are at risk in many places. A drag queen at the helm of the Federal Republic could, in her view, send a beautiful signal.”
This desire isn’t new: back in 2017 Jones stated she would like to become Federal President (TheColu.mn reported). At the time she sat in the Federal Assembly on the proposal of the Green Party from Lower Saxony, which elected Frank-Walter Steinmeier as head of state.
Aigner gilt als klare Favoritin
The timing of her move is no accident. On Monday, the CDU leadership officially named Bavarian state parliament president Ilse Aigner (CSU) as a candidate for the election on January 30. On Tuesday Aigner introduced herself to the parliamentary groups of the Union, the SPD, and the Greens. In addition to the coalition, the Greens’ leaders have also pledged their support, making a majority in the Federal Convention look virtually secure—potentially even in the first round. Aigner would be the first woman and the first CSU politician to head the country. All twelve previous German presidents have been men.
The Federal Convention consists of 630 members of the Bundestag and an equal number of electors from the states. Any member can submit a candidate. The AfD and Die Linke have announced plans to field their own candidates. For Jones to mount her own candidacy, she would thus need someone in the Federal Convention to nominate her.
Vom Dorf auf den Kiez und ins ZDF-Abendprogramm
Olivia Jones, born Oliver Knöbel, hails from Springe near Hanover. In 1997 she was crowned “Miss Drag Queen of the World” in Miami. In St. Pauli she runs several bars and has offered neighborhood tours since 2006; on television she has hosted the jungle camp companion shows “The Hour After” and “The Great Celebrity Penance.” She has repeatedly spoken out against right-wing extremism and for queer visibility.
In May, ZDF aired the feature film “Olivia” about her life. The biopic by director Till Endemann is based on her 2021 autobiography “Ungeschminkt: Mein schrilles Doppelleben.” Johannes Hegemann plays Oliver Knöbel, with Annette Frier portraying his mother. The film tells of bullying, rejection, and violence in the provinces and of rising to become a Kiez icon. It remains available in the ZDF Mediathek.
Auch Hape Kerkeling war im Gespräch
Jones isn’t the only queer celebrity discussed as a potential Steinmeier successor. An online petition on the Campact platform WeAct urges the gay entertainer Hape Kerkeling to become Federal President. More than 165,000 people have signed it.
Over the weekend, the 61-year-old Kerkeling reacted on Instagram to the developing decision for Aigner (TheColu.mn reported). The Union apparently has settled on an experienced candidate. “This is the democratic process, and I respect it completely,” Kerkeling wrote. He wishes Aigner “from the bottom of my heart all the best for this wonderful task.”
