The FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann has declared her willingness to stand as her party's top candidate in the European elections. "If the Free Democrats think I'm the right person at this point, then I'll agree," said Strack-Zimmermann in the evening on the ARD program "Maischberger".

"I think that (...) we underestimate the power of Europe," stressed the woman from Düsseldorf. As a German citizen and politician, she would like "that we in Germany play a bigger role in Europe". As a result of the Ukraine war, she has dealt intensively with Europe's security policy role and is convinced that "it is more important than ever to act on a European level," said the defense politician.

The FDP state chairmen had already agreed on Strack-Zimmermann as Europe's top candidate. She will be the front woman in the European elections next year, as the party explained to the German Press Agency on Monday. Strack-Zimmermann had brought the desire for the EU top candidate himself to party leader Christian Lindner. The FDP will advise on the further course at a three-day federal party conference in Berlin from Friday.

Strack-Zimmermann is chairwoman of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag and is known for arguing passionately and publicly for her goals and - as with arms aid for Ukraine - also standing up to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD).