Gauck: German president's faith 'irrelevant'

[rug]

Date 14.10.2016

Membership in a Christian church is not a requirement for Germany's head of state, current President Joachim Gauck said in an interview published Friday. The religious affiliation of his successor is "irrelevant," Gauck told Germany's Protestant news agency EPD.

Germany's next head of state could have another religious affiliation - or none at all, Gauck said. Specifically, the outgoing president remarked he did not want to rule out the possibility of a Muslim president for Germany.

One possible choice for the post being discussed is Navid Kermani, a Muslim scholar and writer of Iranian descent. Other possible candidates include the former Protestant Church leaders Wolfgang Huber and Margo Käßmann. The majority of Germany's previous presidents were Protestant, the news agency noted. Käßmann, however, announced Wednesday that she has no intention of running for the presidential post.

Gauck, a former Lutheran pastor and civil rights activist in communist East Germany, headed the government body that dealt from 1990 to 2000 with East German secret police files. He became president in 2012 with an undeclared party affiliation, but announced he would not seek a second term in June.

http://www.dw.com/en/gauck-german-presidents-faith-irrelevant/a-36039571

[DetlefK]

1. None of them will be Germany's President.

The President in Germany is mainly a ceremonial position. He has the power to veto laws, but has little to no relevance in day-to-day politics.

In practice, the President is hashed out by the parliament as a whole and they always pick someone boring and non-controversial. Someone everybody can live with.
They won't pick an iranian author.
And they won't pick Margot Käßmann, because she had an embarassing DUI.
They will pick someone from either center-left SPD or center-right CDU. Gauck wasn't even a politician before becoming President: He was just a civil rights activist.

[rug]

2. The position is also head of state.

I don't follow German politics closely but the fact that a Muslim is even mentioned, at this time, as a potential head of state of Germany is eye-opening.

[DetlefK]

3. It's just wild speculation.

A Muslim is still too controversial when there are lots german politicians with better credentials.

The only Muslim I could imagine for President is Cem Özdemir of the Green Party, but he hasn't enough gravitas yet.

As I said: They are looking for someone boring and non-controversial. Someone who won't raise serious objections. Someone who is more of a moral leader than of a political leader.

[rug]

4. You're from Germany. I defer to your observations.

[DetlefK]

5. I don't know for sure, but the people brought up in the article seem unlikely to me.

[Brettongarcia]

6. What's happening with Chancellor Merkel?

She's still there, but her party lost some people?

[DetlefK]

7. Her party is just a little bit down in the polls.

There is a new party in Germany, the AfD, similar to the Teabaggers: Immigrants bad, the media lies, we're the victim of hidden forces.

They are polling up to 24% in some places, but that's because they are not only sucking voters from the middle (ticked off by all the immigrants) but also voters who used to vote for the Neonazis.

Elections are next year and I guess the political climate will cool down a little bit by then, bringing voters back to the political center and capping the AfD at 15%.
(Some AfD-voters don't actually support the AfD. They only vote for them to send a signal to the established parties.)