The Local Germany

Wulff elected president, Merkel humiliated

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:22:00 +0200

Christian Wulff, the German government's candidate for president, was elected the country's head of state on Wednesday after a tortuously long vote seen as public humiliation for Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition.

Wulff calls on coalition to back candidacy

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:00:00 +0200

As Germany's presidential vote draws near, conservative candidate Christian Wulff on Friday called for more cooperation within the ruling centre-right coalition, saying a failure to elect him would send the wrong signal to the public.

Köhler defends surprise resignation

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:39:00 +0200

Germany honoured former German President Horst Köhler during an official farewell ceremony on Tuesday night, during which he defended his surprise resignation last month.

Voters favour Gauck for president

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:17:00 +0200

Dark horse opposition candidate for president Joachim Gauck has more support among ordinary voters than frontrunner Christian Wulff, a poll published Wednesday found.

Leftists name third presidential candidate

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:26:00 +0200

The socialist Left Party has chosen one of its own MPs, former television journalist Lukrezia Jochimsen, to challenge Christian Wulff and Joachim Gauck for Germany’s presidency, media reported Tuesday.

Merkel nominates Wulff for president

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:13:00 +0200

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right coalition on Thursday nominated Lower Saxony’s premier Christian Wulff to be Germany’s next president.

Talk turns to Christian Wulff for president

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:13:00 +0200

Lower Saxony premier Christian Wulff has replaced Labour Minister Ursula von der Leyen as the favourite to become Germany's new president after an abrupt shift in the feverish speculation about the post, media outlets reported Thursday.

Von der Leyen tipped to become president

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 09:08:00 +0200

Labour Minister Ursula von der Leyen is shaping up as the likely choice for Germany’s new president, with Chancellor Angela Merkel strongly backing her conservative colleague, media reports said Wednesday.

A crisis of presidential proportions

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:22:00 +0200

Knowing Horst Köhler served Germany more as an administrator than a visionary tempers any sorrow over his surprise resignation, writes Der Tagesspiegel Editor-in-Chief Stephan-Andreas Casdorff.

German media roundup: Köhler’s shocking departure

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:43:00 +0200

German President Horst Köhler on Monday stunned the nation by suddenly stepping down. Newspapers in The Local’s media roundup try to put the political earthquake in perspective.

Merkel begins search for new president

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:08:00 +0200

The leaders of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right coalition gathered in Berlin on Tuesday to discuss potential candidates to replace German President Horst Köhler after his surprise resignation.

President Köhler resigns

Mon, 31 May 2010 16:12:00 +0200

German President Horst Köhler announced his surprise resignation on Monday after appearing to suggest the country's unpopular Afghanistan mission was partly motivated by commercial interests.

Horst Köhler profile: The modest but outspoken president

Mon, 31 May 2010 20:01:00 +0200

Horst Köhler, whose resignation as Germany's president Monday shocked the nation, was rarely shy of expressing an opinion on political issues - a trait that eventually brought him down.

Köhler under fire for 'economic war' remarks

Thu, 27 May 2010 18:34:00 +0200

German President Horst Köhler sparked a political storm on Thursday by suggesting Germany’s military involvement in Afghanistan was partly motivated by its economic interests rather than solely to guarantee its security.

Köhler urges higher gas prices for environment

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:45:00 +0100

President Horst Köhler on Sunday said higher petrol prices could help make car-crazy Germans become more environmentally conscious, sparking the ire of the automobile lobby.

South Korea seeks Germany's advice on reunification

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:30:00 +0100

South Korea is keen to learn from Germany's experience of melding capitalist and communist rival states, officials said after a presidential summit on Monday.

Köhler refuses to sign controversial internet child porn law

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:01:00 +0100

German President Horst Köhler has hammered another nail in the coffin of a controversial law to block child pornography on the internet by refusing to sign it, news magazine Der Spiegel reported Saturday.

Köhler honours activists who stood ground against East Germany

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:12:00 +0100

President Horst Köhler awarded Germany’s highest honour, the Federal Cross of Merit, to 12 former East Germans on Monday for standing up to injustices committed by the communist regime.

Historians dispute key facts in Köhler's Leipzig speech

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:36:00 +0200

German President Horst Köhler may have made embarrassing factual errors in his speech on Friday celebrating the October 9, 1989 demonstration in Leipzig, his office has admitted.

President honours man killed by bullies at Munich S-Bahn station

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:16:00 +0200

German President Horst Köhler has posthumously awarded the Federal Cross of Merit to Dominik Brunner, the man who was beaten to death at a Munich S-Bahn stop while trying to protect a group of children from bullies.