President of Germany resigned

Seems like he shouldn't have taken that loan after all. I remember how difficult the presidential election was less than two years ago, and now they have to do it all over again. Well, this is yet another blow to Angela Merkel's reputation, affecting her chances for a third term as chancellor.

Can anyone explain to me why a parliamentary republic like Germany even needs the office of "president" or "head of state"? It is quite apparent that the vast majority of European presidents do nothing but sit in a palace and shake hands on camera, having no real functions or decision-making prerogatives. Why not get rid of this money drain and electoral head-ache, establish an ultra-modern, head of state-less system of government, and appoint a representative to participate in all the ceremonies?

Somebody has to sit in the Captain's chair. People like to have easily identifiable leadership, even if its largely (or totally) ceremonial. Look at the UK. For them its just part of their cultural heritage.

The president is the one who "ratifies" laws. Once his signature is on them, they become law.

The president has not much power anymore, since the system was overhauled so much (from the system of the so-.called "Weimarer Republik") after WWII so that the Chancellor has the *real* power.

The president's position was weakened because of the way the Nazis exploited the political system.

The other main function of the president is to be the main representative of the country.

It's basically a bit like the "constitutional monarchy", only, that there is no king anymore.

BBC described one of the duties of German president as "projecting moral authority" Alrik. Is this how Germans see it as well or did BBC made it up because it made Wulff's actions look even more questionable? Whiter than white kind of thing?

Originally Posted by zahratustra
BBC described one of the duties of German president as "projecting moral authority"

BBC didn't make that up. The German president -while usually put in power by the ruling party and thus slightly biased- is supposed to be a mostly independent moral entity. The ideal candidate should be an experienced, charismatic leader with a lot of sure instinct on when to speak up. This means that usually you don't hear too much from El Presidente unless there is a kind of national crisis or tragedy or endless bickering between political parties.

Christian Wulff was in my personal opinion far from an ideal candidate to begin with.
He then turned out to be a complete knucklehead when the revelations about his various "interest conflicts" and half-truths began. You got to imagine that. The president called the editor in chief of Germany's most popular newspaper and left a private message on the guy's mailbox saying literally that there would be "war" between the president's office and the press if they would publish their story about him. A president declaring "war" on the press… what kind of wicked shit is that?
Everything that was revealed about him since then made him an unworthy candidate for this particular office.
I have no idea why Merkel still showed support for this guy until the very end. What a dumb cow…

It never should have come this far. Christain Wulff should have had the balls to resign a few weeks back when the shit was still only flying in the general direction of the fan instead of waiting for the full frontal hit at 200mp/h.
He was a coward with no sense of tact who "managed" this crisis like a lawyer (well, in fact he did let his lawyers handle a lot of the allegations instead of clearing crap up by himself), only admitting to what could not be refuted, losing himself in semantics and petty skirmishes and publishing half-assed apologies á la "I apologize just because everyone wants me to but I haven't really done anything wrong". Uh. Yes. You have, dipshit… .

Today is a good day. One fucking lying scumbag asshole less in politics. Thousands to go, of course, but hey even the small victories count, right?

Originally Posted by Moriendor
Today is a good day. One fucking lying scumbag asshole less in politics. Thousands to go, of course, but hey even the small victories count, right?

Couldn't put it any better myself

If only all politicians could be forced to work under the constant effects of a truth serum, we might actually get good representation…

Apart from the hard words I agree to Moriendor.

The worst things were - at least in the public - 2 things :

1. He doled out the truth in slices, and that ONLY when there was loitering around it anymore.

2. He failed to hold up the same moral and ethical standards for himself he had been holding up when he attacked the former President (Mr. Rau) when it came to Mr. Rau's own scandal. In a speech, Mr. Wulff called it "unbearable" that Mr. Rau had booked flights which had been paid by a half-government-owned (?) bank.
Mr. Wulff's attack was ver sharp at that time. So now people find it unbelievable that a man - Mr. wulff - who had attacked the former President so sharply actually let himself be sponsored by industry and banks, too.

The sign the public received was that of "preaching water and drinking wine", as a German proverb goes. Double standards.

And the worst thing is, that he still believes that he is right.

The new president will be the most popular person in the lottery, who was at the same time the most unlikely candidate because chancellor Merkel inisted she didn't want him: Joachim Gauck. Mr Gauck is an East German civil rights activist, not a member of any party. He was the losing opposition candidate against Mr Wulff in the last presidential election.
BILD writes there were heated discussions inside the CDU/CSU & FDP coalition about their own candidate. In the end the FDP, fearing that the already announced intention to find a consensus candidate with the opposition would leave them without any influence again, inisted on Gauck. Which meant direct confrontation with Mrs Merkel. Upon her question if they were really willing to risk their coalition over this topic, they decided stand tall and let the clock run down (it's unclear if they would really pulled it through to the very end). The CDU was not amused, considered it blackmail, but nevertheless blinked first. CDU/CSU & FDP officially suggested Mr Gauck as consensus candidate to SPD & Greens. The rest was a formality. Mrs Merkel made the best of the situation and personally called Mr Gauck.
A huge day for the FPD - the invoice will be in the mail. The FDP is on a downward spiral, their future after this term is uncertain. They needed good news attributed to them alone. There's generally not much to gain for the junior partner in a government.

Seems like the problem was short-lived as Joachim Gauck, a Protestant pastor, human rights activist and nonpartisan politician has won the support of most major parties in Germany barely two days after Wulff's resignation. Once again Germany shows that its political system, though far from flawless, is decidedly ahead of the rest of the world, with the symbolic state leadership finally finding its place in the hands of a universally respected independent public figure with (hopefully) no clandestine deals or questionable alliances to cast a shadow on his reputation. And a member of the clergy no less, in this age of rabid anti-Christian and anti-religious sentiments. Viva la Germania?

Well, well, well… I have never thought that it will happen but I have to say that I agree with you Glyph.

It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.

Sir Winston Churchill
British politician (1874 - 1965)

Mr. Gauck should have been there in the first place, imho. It damages the reputation of those parties which had tried to "install" Mr. Wulff (and they succeeded only after I think it was the second or even a third ? try in the election process) that Mr. Gauck is coming now again into this place, so to say. The one of whom many believe that he should have been there in the first place (he had been the competor during the Wulff election process).

Let's hope he won't run into the Obama trap and be dammned by too high expectations. Still, Gauck is also my favorite among the candidates. Although, on principle, I would have preferred a female president, or at least a strong female candidate.

I guess a female president will come the next time.

You already have a female chancellor, one that actually makes all the decisions.