Christian Wulff, the state Premier of Lower Saxony, was nominated on Thursday as the next German president, government sources told German Press Agency DPA.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition proposed the 50-year-old as the successor to Horst Koehler, who unexpectedly resigned at the start of the week.
The next President is due to be formally voted into office by a special assembly on June 30. Ms. Merkel's coalition majority means their chosen candidate is likely to succeed.
Earlier in the week, rumours had abounded that Labour Minister Ursula von der Leyen could become Germany's first female President.
Mr. Wulff (50), has been one of Ms. Merkel's key rivals within her Christian Democratic Union party (CDU.) His appointment to the largely ceremonial role would remove him from the political fray, just weeks after another of Ms. Merkel's CDU critics, Hesse state Premier Roland Koch, announced his resignation.
The post of President is elected by a special body known as a Federal Council, which comprises the entire membership of the Bundestag parliament, plus an equal number of representatives nominated by the 16 states.
