News analysis
German politics
Merkel crying, Wulff
Feb 17th 2012, 15:54 by B.U. | BERLIN
CHRISTIAN WULFF was Germany’s youngest-ever president when he was elected in June 2010. Now he holds another record, for the shortest time in office. He resigned this morning after revelations about dodgy relations with businessmen stemming from his time as premier of Lower Saxony, a northern German state.
It was mostly petty stuff. A €500,000 ($660,000) loan helped buy a house for Mr Wulff and his new wife in 2008. He later appeared to mislead the state legislature about it. He holidayed at rich friends’ houses in Florida and Spain, and accepted a free upgrade on a flight to Florida (which he later paid for).
What brought him down was his relationship with a film producer who had helped pay for a jaunt to Sylt, a plush island retreat (Mr Wulff claims to have paid him back). A firm he had an interest in had received a loan guarantee from the Lower Saxony government.
Yesterday the state’s prosecutor asked the Bundestag to lift Mr Wulff’s legal immunity, a first for Germany. His resignation followed swiftly. He had always behaved “legally correctly”, he insisted this morning, but could not carry on without Germans’ trust.
Apart from its humiliating end Mr Wulff’s presidency will be remembered above all for his declaration that Islam is part of the German fabric, just as Christianity and Judaism are. That pleased multicultural types but enraged some conservatives.
The German presidency is a largely ceremonial job. It is supposed to rise above politics. But the act of choosing a new president is a political affair, which can portend new alliances and shifts in political direction. There are potential pitfalls, especially for the chancellor, Angela Merkel.
Mr Wulff’s election, prompted by the abrupt resignation of his predecessor, was a bruising experience for Mrs Merkel. He was up against a popular candidate put forward by the opposition Social Democratic and Green parties: Joachim Gauck, a foe of East Germany’s communist regime.
Mrs Merkel’s political fortunes were then at a low ebb: the euro crisis was in its early stages and many members of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) were disgruntled with her bloodlessly pragmatic style of leadership.
Her three-party coalition commanded a majority of the Bundesversammlung, a special assembly consisting of the Bundestag (now with 620 members) and an equal number of representatives from the 16 states that is called into being to elect the president. But Mr Wulff did not win until the third round of voting.
Circumstances have since changed. Mrs Merkel’s personal popularity has recovered and national support for the CDU (along with its Bavarian sibling, the Christian Social Union) has steadied. But the third member of the coalition, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), is now so weak that its survival as a serious political force beyond the next federal election in 2013 is in doubt. The coalition’s majority in the Bundesversammlung is paper-thin.
Mrs Merkel has no wish for another fight with the opposition. After the coalition parties meet she says she will talk to the Social Democrats and the Greens about presenting a “common candidate” to the Bundesversammlung.
One reason is that, because of the FDP’s weakness, Mrs Merkel may well need to govern with one or other of these opposition parties if she is to remain in office herself after next year's election. But she cannot afford to alienate the FDP, which is an awkward coalition partner already and would become more so if the chancellor ignores its wishes.
So Mrs Merkel will try to find someone who pleases everyone (except the ex-communist Left Party, which doesn’t count in her eyes). That will be tricky, but is probably doable. No frontrunners have yet emerged.
It may be time for Germany’s first female president, possibly Ursula von der Leyen, the labour minister, who thought she would get the job last time. Two CDU politicians who might be acceptable to the opposition are Norbert Lammert, president of the Bundestag, and Klaus Töpfer, a former environment minister.
There is chatter about Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was Mrs Merkel’s foreign minister when she led a “grand coalition” with the Social Democrats, and about Joschka Fischer, a legendary Green politician and ex-foreign minister. But neither is likely to be acceptable to the FDP. Mr Gauck is again being mentioned. Or it might be someone else entirely.
The Bundesversammlung must pick someone within 30 days. Speculation about who that might be, and the candidate’s chances once chosen, will dominate the news cycles for a while. The biggest risk to Mrs Merkel’s government is the possibility of a rupture with the FDP, but this looks unlikely. Mr Wulff is gone, but the landscape looks largely unaltered.
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Readers' comments
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Joachim Gauck wasn't the first choice, though he's backed by all major political outfits in Germany. For instance, the president of the German constitutional court and the Bundestagspräsident (similar to the Speaker in the US - House of Representatives) declined the offer. Never mind. Anybody and her sister would cut a more credible figure as Germany's president than the fine Mr. Wulff. That includes Joachim Gauck and my girlfriend's one and a half year old nephew.
Gauch will be/is president of Germany!!
You mean à gauche?
Das stimmt. Gauck ist etwas linkisch (aus der ehemaligen DDR LOL)
The conservatives were obviously enraged about both Judaism and Isalam. For the former we have lots of evidence, and little more is needed. For the latter, keep watching the news.
She can hire a Greek , there's plenty who look for a job, especially for inaugurating the chrisanthemus
Hi,
Merkel crying, Wulff. Don’t Steppenwulff around here.
A credibildholidaygate scandal has meet an end, and then. Who will follow? The president seat has become hot and a new candidate must have a clean slate or at least a good cover. Many eligible candidates will deter but I see a solution in Fr. von der Leyen which Fr. Merkel would be glad to rid. Very much like in Britain if a parliamentarian get on your nerves make him or her a Lord.
Regards Terence Hale
aah where are the likes of Paul von Hindenburg and Otto von Bismarck who at least did something for Germany
One of the most important aspects of this story, and one probably the most crucial thing as to why he stepped down was because Wulff had the audacity to try and use political influence to stop the media from reporting the stories once they broke.
He might have been forgiven for the vacations and gifts if he had just shown receipts for paying back things and said a contrite sorry. But instead he tried to stop the German news organizations from reporting on the story.
How any politician in Western Europe (ok, maybe western Europe except for Italy up until the end of last year) would think it is a good idea to try and put political pressure on news organizations baffles me.
I can understand Putin using such tactics, not like Russia has changed much other than in name since 1990. But especially a German politician, using those tactics, what did he think would happen?
The current gang of politicians, who came to power over the last decades, are of average intelligence, inexperienced and incompetent in anything except political intrigue and generally unfit to lead this country. However, they are not stupid enough to elect someone as president who could remind the people of that very fact... expect another spine- and clueless "Grüßaugust" (Töpfer?).
I stand corrected. Go Gauck!
Of course he payed back for the hotel...IN CASH...because it is not traceable... and you can say every time you didn't pay that you paid...but in cash "so sorry that I cannot provide an evidence about the payement"... Think like a Wulff
Germans love to brandish Greeks as corrupt people. However this event showed us that who are actually more corrupt.
You seem to be quite uninformed. Check league tables at Transparency International. You will notice that Greece ranks lower than many so-called "third world countries" and quite close to so-called "failed states". Not quite where Germany ranks.
Wether you like it or not, Northern states are by no means wholly - but certainly a lot less corrupt. There are many areas, like medicine, where corruption in Greece is the rule, not the exception. While in Northern states this is the other way around.
and in Germany people get punished and have to give up their duties, eventhough they are not yet convicted. Whereas in Greece not much happens because corruption is like an inherited disease there. This article shows, that this perception was prevailing even more than 150 years ago: http://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/griechenland-das-land-lebt-seit-se...
(if u dont speak German, try to use Google Translate)
This shows that Germans stick to their principles and kick corrupt guys out - even if its their own president ...... and by the way, it was not about large benefits that he got. The state attorney wants to prosecute him. How many Greek politicians have been prosecuted?
You are really a poor Indian.
CHRISTIAN WULFF is a Schnapchenjager like every German, not corruption. Even such a small presents like holiday in friend's villa is already a Taboo in Germany.
Compare to Indian politicians he is a "Holy Saint" !!
C Wulff took the posturing of President too seriously when he developed a 'tin ear' about Muslims.
Given all the problems with radical Muslims outside the Middle East, the inflexibility of these radicals who operate in plain sight and their use of 'in house' protections (priviledges NOT enjoyed in their home countries) extended to them, then, yes, Herr Wulff had to go.
As to the pandering to Mohammedans, just wait and see if "Joschka Fischer, a legendary Green politician and ex-foreign minister" (© The Economist - LOL!) is elected. He is a full, card holding member of the unholy alliance of the Left and radical Islamists.
Is he a legend? Sure he is. But not in his disguise as a greenie leader but as a militant Red. I recall that photo of him bashing a cop's head with a club - no doubt during one of their marches 'for peace'.
Despite his extremely chequered past Joschka Fischer was an extremely well-regarded foreign minister in great contrast to the current joker who can't be sacked because there is no replacement in sight more's the pity as German could go with a competent diplomat at the moment.
As for membership of some kind of unholy alliance between, in your words, "the Left and radical Islamists" - only in your mind. Only the extreme right seems to be able to operate, and unfortunately murder, with impunity in Germany.
Yeah, a Germanic extreme Right murder could be terrifying, think Brevik here... but it is hardly left unpunished.
As to the Left/Mohammedan alliance being in my mind only... well, denial of the multiple facts doesn't do YOU good.
After the self-destruction of Marxism, Leninism, Maoism, Guevarism, Gramscism and so on, today's left radicals embraced pure nihilism. Their hatred of the civilized world led them to solidarity with Islamic terrorists, and that makes them more dangerous than loony.
Now that the 'radical' Jews have been taught their lesson, I guess it is time for the 'radical' Muslims.
The Wolf should watch Iron Sky this weekend in Berlin to understand how populist entertainment exists both in the cinema and in B-grade politics!
The esteemed Mr. Wulff has succeeded in making a hash of things not only by dint of his dodgy relations. At least as dodgy has been his handling of the mess. He's failed to act with character and integrity once his dodgy dealings have come to light. In retrospect, the distinguished Mr. Wulff has been the most embarrassing German president in modern Germany history. And Mama Merkel needs to take the rap for it because she insisted on him.
You would expect Merkel to come out of the affair the worse but I think that Frank Capellan hits the nail on the head in his editorial (http://www.dradio.de/dlf/sendungen/kommentar/1680550/): it actually gives Merkel yet another chance to play the statesman.
Margot Kessmann would get my vote as the next president but you Töpfer looks the "safest pair of hands", assuming he'd want the job. Merkel's mobbing of Horst Köhler and kack-handed shoe-horning of Wulff into the post have seriously damaged the office but that may have been her intention all along.
If only the state prosecutor in Lower Saxony could have waited until Monday then the coalition would have lost it's majority in the Bundesversammlung because of the Saarland election.
von der leyen would be a horrible choice, one of the worst politicians....if merkel is smart she lures steinbrueck into this position, since (in my opinion) he is the only dangerous spd candidate for her next year and no one would have a problem with him being the president
I dont expect a red candidate get elected by a conservative government - and I dont see a reason why Steinbrück should tale president now, when he can get chancellor in two years instead of.
My hope and proposal is Klaus Töpfer, who is an internationally experienced elder statesman from CDU with a very high acceptance at the greens and SPD too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_T%C3%B6pfer
It was high time he was gone for the political hygiene in Germany.
These shady connections with billionaires, favours, free holidays etc. is a virus that can spread from the top into the whole society.
That these types are chased by the media and finally finished off by the justice system is a very good sign for the German society.
It's amazing to me that corruption is so rampant even in the upper ranks of political society. We need another William Jennings Bryan to lead a movement pushing for cleaner government and groundworks social reform.
Wulff had no choice but to resign. He is a rather shallow manipulative type of politician and is not someone who can dance with the wolves (not enough character). Swaying his little banner according to where the wind was blowing probably got him to where he was, not because of any vision or deeper convictions (he was a compromise anyway). Ursula (female bear) might do a better job!
"He holidayed at rich friends’ houses in Florida and Spain, and accepted a free upgrade on a flight to Florida (which he later paid for)."
and
"Mr Wulff is gone, but the landscape looks largely unaltered."
If German chancellor is Europe's most important job these days, German president appears one of its least meaningful.
> If German chancellor is Europe's most important job these days,
> German president appears one of its least meaningful.
No, in contrary.
You can take it for shure, that if there would be a mild breeze of suspicion of corruption for Merkel, she had to walk through a hell of public fire, a real hell.
Following the idea, that "the fish stinks from the head down", the most powerful politicians are getting the most demanding public investigation in Germany.
Wulff had been investigated much more prudent as a president than before as the prime minister of the regional state lower saxony - so his further twilight-behavior took him down in Berlin, not already in Hanover.
Right, but as I understand it the German president, as opposed to the chancellor, has very little power. Also, whereas corruption should be weeded out, too high a level of scrutiny may actually remove the most effective leaders, or not? If you select for choir boys, you surely cannot expect a "captain of the storm", so to speak.