German President Horst Koehler Quits Over Military Remarks

[laughingliberal]

BERLIN — President Horst Koehler stunned Germans by resigning Monday after being criticized for appearing to link military deployments abroad with the country's economic interests – creating a new headache for Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The resignation, effective immediately, came a year into Koehler's second term as the largely ceremonial head of state. Merkel's center-right alliance installed the former International Monetary Fund boss as president in 2004, and his departure is a symbolic blow.

The speaker of parliament's upper house – Bremen Mayor Jens Boehrnsen, a member of the opposition Social Democrats – temporarily takes over presidential duties, largely signing legislation into law.

A new president must be elected within 30 days. German politicians now have to figure out quickly who should replace Koehler even as they are preoccupied with trying to make budget cuts amid Europe's government debt crisis.

More at link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/31/german-president-horst-ko_n_595257.html

[DJ13]

1. The elites dont like it when a politican tells the truth

[laughingliberal]

3. +1 nt

[and-justice-for-all]

2. The German President does not do anything....

the chancellor does all the work. Their president is nothing like our version of what a President does or should do.