Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Headache for Angela Merkel as German president Joachim Gauck steps down
Source: The Guardian
Headache for Angela Merkel as German president Joachim Gauck steps down
Former East German civil rights activist will not stand for second term,
despite appeals across political spectrum for him to stay
Kate Connolly in Berlin
Monday 6 June 2016 15.34 BST
Germany’s president, Joachim Gauck, has announced he will not stand for a second term in office, prompting an instant race to find his successor and effectively kick-starting the campaign for a general election in autumn of next year.
The 76-year-old former East German pastor and civil rights activist said he was stepping down despite appeals across the spectrum for him to stay in office, citing his advancing years.
His decision is likely to create difficulties for the already embattled chancellor, Angela Merkel, triggering a cross-party race for possible successors to be chosen less than six months before a 2017 general election.
“This decision was not easy for me,” said Gauck at his office in Berlin’s Bellevue Palace. “I do not want to commit myself for a further period of five years when I cannot guarantee that I will have the adequate amount of energy and vitality that is required. How one considers one’s own age is a very individual, very personal question. This is the way I have answered it for myself.”
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Former East German civil rights activist will not stand for second term,
despite appeals across political spectrum for him to stay
Kate Connolly in Berlin
Monday 6 June 2016 15.34 BST
Germany’s president, Joachim Gauck, has announced he will not stand for a second term in office, prompting an instant race to find his successor and effectively kick-starting the campaign for a general election in autumn of next year.
The 76-year-old former East German pastor and civil rights activist said he was stepping down despite appeals across the spectrum for him to stay in office, citing his advancing years.
His decision is likely to create difficulties for the already embattled chancellor, Angela Merkel, triggering a cross-party race for possible successors to be chosen less than six months before a 2017 general election.
“This decision was not easy for me,” said Gauck at his office in Berlin’s Bellevue Palace. “I do not want to commit myself for a further period of five years when I cannot guarantee that I will have the adequate amount of energy and vitality that is required. How one considers one’s own age is a very individual, very personal question. This is the way I have answered it for myself.”
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/06/german-president-joachim-gauck-merkel-east-german-civil-rights