Joachim Gauck Elected German President

BERLIN (AP) — A far-reaching majority of lawmakers elected former East German pro-democracy activist Joachim Gauck as Germany's new president Sunday.

The 72-year-old Gauck, who enjoyed the backing of most major parties, received 991 of the 1,232 ballots cast, parliamentary speaker Norbert Lammert said. The ex-communist Left Party's candidate Beate Klarsfeld secured 126 votes, the far right NPD party's candidate Olaf Rose only three, and there were 108 abstentions.

Gauck is a former pastor who opposed East Germany's then-communist regime and became head of a federal agency overseeing the files of the Communists' ubiquitous domestic intelligence service after Germany's reunification in 1990.

Gauck appeared moved as he accepted the election to become the country's new head of state, a largely ceremonial role in Germany that has little executive power but is considered an important moral authority.

"I accept this duty. After the long political meanders of the 20th century, I do so with the infinite gratefulness of a person who has finally and unexpectedly found his home again and who had the pleasure of participating in a democratic society over the past 20 years," Gauck told the assembly.

"Very certainly I won't be able to live up to all expectations," he said. "But there is one thing I can promise: I say yes with all of my force and with my heart that I will carry out the responsibility you entrusted to me today."

Gauck, who has no political affiliation, won wide backing from Germany's mainstream parties for the presidency after predecessor Christian Wulff resigned in a corruption scandal last month.

When he was nominated, Chancellor Angela Merkel described Gauck as "a true teacher of democracy." Gauck had run for the opposition against her candidate, Wulff, two years earlier, but Merkel's junior coalition partner pushed her to accept him as president at the second attempt.

On Sunday, Merkel said Germany can be proud of its new president, who was elected with a "very convincing result."

The chancellor, another former East German, also said that Gauck's election was a sign of the success of Germany's reunification.

"We can also be a little proud of that," Merkel said, adding that more progress was still required to see eastern Germany catch up fully with the wealthier western part.

Comments

[MolliBlum]

09:18 AM on 03/20/2012

Never understood why Gauck wasn't chosen in the first place.

[dd35-scot]

10:14 AM on 03/20/2012

Wow.Perhaps a true Wind of Change.

[CologneCitizen]

11:54 AM on 03/20/2012

Angela Merkel preferred Wulff because he was popular as the head of lower saxony and she feared, that maybe in a next general election he could gain points and endanger her position within her party the CDU. So it was basically a political move, I don't think she personally resented Gauck. However 80 % of the Germans are happy now with Gauck BECAUSE he is NO politician, and you don't necessarily need a politician in this kind of office.

[MolliBlum]

12:34 PM on 03/20/2012

That makes sense. Thanks.

[Siebenstein]

03:56 AM on 03/19/2012

Nowadays I am more often proud of my country of origin.

[dresdengirl]

11:08 AM on 03/19/2012

Me too.

[Siebenstein]

10:40 PM on 03/19/2012

schoen;-))

[CologneCitizen]

02:53 AM on 03/20/2012

I guess the German history in the last 65 years is a good example that a nation can learn from the past. It needs of course to be constantly on alert to keep democratic standards and democratic procedures. We Germans are often described as too serious and too efficient in our daily business. However politically I think it helps to maintain standards, and it helps to be aware that nothing should be taken for granted, it has to be fought for every single day.

[Siebenstein]

02:58 AM on 03/20/2012

I sign that wholeheartedly:-))

[MolliBlum]

07:15 AM on 03/21/2012

I think Gauck represents that well. So, a good choice as a figurehead.

[ClaudiaL]

12:09 AM on 03/19/2012

Sounds like the Germans are getting tired of the conservatives, as we too are.

[lunarsnare]

06:12 AM on 03/19/2012

Neither the German President nor the Chancellor is elected by the people but by a small number of bureaucrats via secret ballot.
Germany is not democracy but a bureaucracy.

[Stephen Morrill]

07:01 AM on 03/19/2012

Do you live in Germany? I am a U.S. citizen who does, and I don't think you have any idea what you are talking about. Today Germany is more democratic than the U.S..

[Hugo Rune]

04:41 PM on 03/19/2012

You need to understand how a parliamentary democracy works.

The people vote for the parties who make up the parliament proportionally. The parties declare beforehand who they would put up as chancellor if they are able to gain a majority. A majority is necessary because the chancellor can easily be voted out of office by a vote of no confidence by the parliament. The people know who will be chancellor if this or that party wins, in effect, they vote for the chancellor. Normally the choice is between the 2 major party candidates, which in Germany means the Social Democrats (left wing/progressive) and the Christian Democrats (Who are not necessarily Christian in any meaningful way; the name has historical reason. Anyway, they are conservative.) Other parties put their own candidates forward but those noemally have no chance of getting the necessary majority to become chancellor. Still, they have a much greater influence on policy than 3rd party candidates in America since coalition governments are normally necessary and this gives them a better bargeining position. They normally get important positions in the future government like foreign minister and suchlike.

The president is elected by the federal assembly, which consists of the members of the Bundestag (parliament) and members of the state parliaments. Neither the chancellor nor the president is is elected by "a small number of bureaucrats". Everybody who has a vote is a directly elected member of parliament.

[Andromedos]

06:40 AM on 03/19/2012

Gauck is actually pretty conservative. While nominated by the social democrats and greens, his worldview is more to the right than the politics of these parties.

[valeskas]

11:52 AM on 03/19/2012

There is a big difference about the Cons here and the Cons over there. The Cons here, only want for the 1%, the Cons there, make sure, that every citizen has affordable health care, that you get your yearly increase in pay and have a good lifestyle. While people here teeter around bankruptcy all the time.

[Sally Whitaker]

07:22 PM on 03/18/2012

Good for him. But, how can he be a Luthern pastor and a Communist?
Communists don't believe in God.

[Tsvi1]

07:53 PM on 03/18/2012

He joined the seminary because higher education was blocked to him for NOT being part of the communist youth wing.
He is anti-communist.

[Siebenstein]

04:26 AM on 03/19/2012

True Communism only existed in concept, never in reality; not to this day. Most "Communist" countries were and are rather mixed-fascist dictatorships.

[Chris Herz]

05:09 PM on 03/18/2012

Were it only possible that we Americans had a president with such shining pro-democracy credentials.

[lunarsnare]

06:21 AM on 03/19/2012

Unlike US citizens, the German people don’t get to vote for their president or chancellor. The average citizen has no say in this. They are elected/ appointed via secret ballot by bureaucrats.

[Stephen Morrill]

07:04 AM on 03/19/2012

Geman citizens overwhelmingly support Gauck's appointment. And it's not secret. I watched it on television.

[Garrinchinha]

11:50 AM on 03/19/2012

You seem to forget that the President of the United States is elected in an indirect election as well. He is elected via secret ballot by bureaucrats called "presidential electors", and there have been faithless electors in two out of the last three presidential elections. Does that mean that the US President lacks a democratic mandate? Of course he doesn't. And neither does the German chancellor.

[valeskas]

11:55 AM on 03/19/2012

We could have this in our country, but the Cons here, don't care about the 99% citizens, in Germany they do.

[Sickofpoliticians2]

02:39 PM on 03/19/2012

I wouldn't bet on it, and its nowhere near the truth in the UK, politicians everywhere are much the same, snakes.

[cornel]

02:25 PM on 03/18/2012

Joachim Gauck is the German Václav Havel. These are very good news for the German people, I congratulate them. I hope the people here have as much common senses as our friends the German, alas it's only hope !

[valeskas]

11:59 AM on 03/19/2012

The Chancellor is the one in Germany who reigns, the President is only there for ceremonial issues or visiting dignitaries. He has no power whatsoever.

[AlexVonHussein]

12:10 PM on 03/18/2012

great!

[AlexVonHussein]

12:08 PM on 03/18/2012

The First Lady is the second mistress

[smittt]

03:20 PM on 03/18/2012

and the cow jumped over the moon

[AlexVonHussein]

12:06 PM on 03/18/2012

great! and the first lady is his mistress. Gauck is married for with grown children. He left his wife for a mistress. The First Lady of Germany is actually the First Mistress. Gauck real wife lives unrecognised on this day far in a small town , where she lived with Gauck and children when he was a small pastor!

[AIlegroTroppo]

01:20 PM on 03/18/2012

Na und?

[valeskas]

12:01 PM on 03/19/2012

Genau.

[cornel]

02:29 PM on 03/18/2012

Nicht alle sind Americanischen Puritaner

[smittt]

03:05 PM on 03/18/2012

Gott sei Dank, I agree and am soooooo glad

[ak907guy]

06:06 PM on 03/18/2012

What's the problem with American Puritans? Is it their actions? or the fact that many can be hypocritical and/or judgemental? Some see Puritanism as limiting personal freedom, but do we really want leaders (much less society in general) to embrace non-puritanical beliefs & behaviors?

Germany expects/demands that their President have high moral/ethical standards. The former president resigned, in part, because his behavior didn't display that nobleness of character they felt the office of President required. So, it would stand to reason that some "puritans" who believe that a president who is a pastor should adhere to Biblical standards. That would preclude divorce and/or co-habitating with a woman who is not his wife.

Of course, one could argue that a person's private life has little to do with politics, decision-making, etc. But German (and American??) society demands more accountability from its political and spiritual leaders. It would be interesting, indeed, to see how the country would respond to Mr. Gingrich's marital history and whether that should have anything to do with his "electability" to our nation's highest office. Does it matter (or should it matter) that his marital track record is less than perfect?

[Lee Stevens]

12:01 PM on 03/18/2012

I really think that major thanks and congratulations should be given to Germany for two things.It is of incredible importance to the entire world that Europe work thru its financial problems and Germany should be loudly applauded for voluntarily underwriting a bail-out plan.Germany is also leading the way in converting to green energy a plan that must be copied and amplified.As a 62 year old I was raised under the shadow of World War II and am now ready, because of these efforts, to look at Germany again in a new and hopeful light. While I know Japan is still reeling from the last Tsunami I hope they too will start using their finances and technology not only for their own rebuilding but as a major force for good in the world.

[Stephen Morrill]

07:06 AM on 03/19/2012

True and well said.

[dresdengirl]

11:18 AM on 03/19/2012

Well said.
f/f

[jherbord]

11:04 AM on 03/18/2012

Hopefully he won't turn out to be another schvinehundt.

[cornel]

02:29 PM on 03/18/2012

Oh, please

[smittt]

03:09 PM on 03/18/2012

du spricht warschleinlish von unser president Obama. Hope U understand this. Is dat die only German wort U know?

[Bernique]

11:00 AM on 03/18/2012

This is a good development.