Lisa Reichmann

On June 30, 2010, a new Federal President has been elected in Germany. This was necessary because Horst Köhler resigned from the position a month ago after he had been criticised for some comments on the German military involvement in Afghanistan. Public attention and expectations for this change in the country’s highest office were great, mostly because the governing coalition is regarded as being overwhelmed with finding solutions to overcome the ongoing economic and financial crisis.

Therefore, it can be said that politicians in Germany were facing the task of finding a new Federal President at a time where many citizens are loosing trust in the country’s leadership. According to various observers, the governing coalition desired a President who would not cause additional discussions and who would be acceptable to many of its supporters, in order to demonstrate unity. Hence, Christian Wulff, so far prime minister of the state of Lower Saxony and a long-term member of the conservative party, was chosen as the coalition’s candidate. Social democrats and Greens, on the other hand, the country’s largest opposition parties, jointly nominated Joachim Gauck, well known for having been a dissident pastor in the German Democratic Republic and a strong defender of freedom and liberty. Moreover, Gauck has gained a reputation as Federal Commissioner for the records of the Ministry of State Security of the GDR, a function in which he repeatedly criticised the wrong done and attempts to cover it up.

An additional female candidate was nominated by the party Die Linke. Given that after the resignation of Horst Köhler the parties only had one month to promote their respective candidates, the country experienced an intense debate about the position of the Federal President and the question of what kind of personality was needed for this post.

What kind of President do we want?

This discussion was particularly important since for historical reasons, the German Federal President is equipped with less powers than comparable positions in countries such as the United States or France. Rather than being actively involved in the daily business of governmental activity, the President should represent the country and act as a moral authority, stimulating debates and questioning societal and political trends. By signing laws passed in Parliament or refusing to do so, the President also possesses the power to double-check if governmental decisions are in line with the Constitution. Moreover, the fact that many people did not really understand Köhler’s motivation for resigning about a year after having started his second term, has damaged the reputation of the office. It is in this context that one has to evaluate why the two most promising candidates caused such an intense public debate and how the election came to be seen as having signal effects for the governing coalition.

 Before the election, most attention was directed at the differences in character of the two candidates. Christian Wulff was perceived as an internal rival of Angela Merkel, whom the chancellor nominated as Federal President to silence him as a critic and competitor. Furthermore, the fact that Wulff has been a member of the conservative party for a long time gives him a reputation of being under the government’s influence rather than an independent authoritity. Furthermore, being in the middle of his political career rather than at its end and aged only 51, Wulff does not fit the traditional profile of a Presidential candidate. These factors indicate that his nomination was based on purely tactical considerations of the conservative party.

 Joachim Gauck, by contrast, was seen as a free mind whose experience allows for a high degree of moral integrity. The fact that he is neither member of a political party nor fully agrees with any of the parties who nominated him as a candidate, also increased his popularity amongst people who are dissatisfied with the political establishment. In fact, Gauck has voiced his support for many conservative positions and maintains a long-lasting friendship with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Had he not been nominated by the opposition, one could excpect him to be a very acceptable candidate for the governing coalition as well.

Gauck is popular for his charismatic and inspiring speeches based on convictions, which make him an authentic representative of critical thinking. These characteristics caused an unknown degree of support amongst the population, particularly amongst young people, that manifested itself on the Internet. Had the people had the chance of directly electing their President, most observers agree that Gauck would have won.

The system favours the government’s candidate

However, the German political system does not allow for this. Instead, Federal Presidents are chosen by the members of the Federal Convention, which only meets for this purpose. It is composed of the members of the Bundestag, the first chamber of Parliament, along with delegates from the state Parliaments. In the recent election, the government coalition held an absolute majority of seats amongst the Convention’s 1244 members. Consequently, most people expected Christian Wulff to be elected in the first ballot. But rather, the coalition’s candidate only got enough votes in the third try, in which a simple rather than an absolute majority would have been sufficient. This was due to the fact that as many as 44 delegates of the governing coalition departed from the line of their parliamentary groups in the secret elections. Be it because they were attracted by Joachim Gauck as a charismatic independent candidate, or because they were dissatisfied with the performance of their parties, the coalition and its leadership. It was only thanks to the discord amongst the opposition- resulting from Die Linke’s unwillingness to support Gauck who has repeatedly criticised the party for the influence maintained by former GDR cadres and its unwillingness to openly distance itself from the past- that Wulff got elected.

And for the future?

What does the course of this election and the campaign that preceded it mean for the governing coalition and Germany’s political future? There are probably two aspects to keep in mind. In the short-term, the fact that many delegates of the governing coalition did not follow party lines might further weaken the conservative-liberal government and chancellor Angela Merkel. Some observers even predict that the next Federal elections will take place sooner than planned. While it is impossible to assess the impact of the Presidential election in this respect with certainty at the moment, one can however draw some conclusions concerning the political climate in Germany. The lively debate in the run-up to the election has stimulated new interest in the role of the President and politics that are less dominated by established parties. The virtues of democracy and freedom have also been strengthened and maybe the first steps have been taken to overcome the widespread disenchantment with politics. Consequently, opposition parties, including the Greens, regard this election as a success, even though Joachim Gauck did not win. The hope therefore is that the high level of interest and involvement in politics can and will be maintained and that Christian Wulff as the new Federal President will continue a dialogue that embraces the people and critically accompanies trends and decisions in politics and society.

Lisa Reichmann is currently an intern at the Prague office of Heinrich Böll Foundation. She holds a degree in International Affairs from Vrije Universiteit Brussel.