Koehler elected new German president

Reuters UK ^ | May 23 2004 | Erik Kirschbaum/Reuters

[knighthawk]

BERLIN (Reuters) - Former IMF head Horst Koehler has been elected Germany's ninth post-war president by a special federal assembly in a poll overshadowed by the inclusion of a Nazi-era judge who sentenced World War Two deserters to death.

Koehler, who quit as managing director of the International Monetary Fund to run for the largely ceremonial office, won an absolute majority on Sunday with 604 votes in the 1,204-member assembly.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's candidate Gesine Schwan, who gained 589 votes, was defeated in what opposition conservatives hope will be a harbinger for the ousting of the SPD-Greens government in a 2006 general election.

The vote sparked controversy over the participation of Christian Democrat delegate Hans Filbinger, a Third Reich naval judge who ordered the execution in 1945 of a German sailor who tried to flee from German-occupied Norway. He issued death sentences in absentia for two others who fled to Sweden.

Koehler, nominated by the opposition Christian Democrats and their Free Democrats allies, will succeed Johannes Rau, who did not seek a second term.

"I return home to Germany after living abroad for six years with joy and gratitude," Koehler said. "Germany has given me a lot and I want to give some of that back now. I love Germany."

He warned that Germany's sluggish economy was in urgent need of reform and appealed for more patriotism.

"I can't hide my concerns about our economy," he said, pointedly adding he was a trained economist. "Germany has to fight for its position in the world in the 21st century. Patriotism and openness to the world are not conflicting aims."

Koehler, 61, needed at least 603 votes in the assembly made up of an equal number of parliament members and delegates sent from Germany's 16 federal states.

Schroeder's SPD and their Greens coalition partners hold a narrow majority in parliament, but have lost power in several of the states and thereby control of the assembly that meets only once every five years to elect a president.

The CDU and FDP allies had 622 delegates in the assembly and the SPD-Greens 549.

Even though the president's powers are limited -- a deliberate post-war reaction to the failures of the Weimar Republic that led to Hitler's rise -- the office is still coveted by parties jostling to control the prestigious post.

The president sends a representative to cabinet meetings -- an unpleasant prospect for Schroeder.

Filbinger ignored pleas from Schroeder's government and Jewish leaders to bow out of the assembly meeting.

In 1978 Filbinger was forced to resign as state premier of Baden-Wuerttemberg after defending himself by saying: "What was the law then cannot be unlawful now."

[knighthawk]

Europe-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[CasearianDaoist]

Interpretations welcome.

[DoctorMichael]

Interesting.

"....Former IMF head Horst Koehler has been elected Germany's ninth post-war president.....quit as managing director of the International Monetary Fund......inclusion of a Nazi-era judge....."
"....Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's candidate Gesine Schwan...was defeated....harbinger for the ousting of the SPD-Greens government........."

[rageaholic]

The vote sparked controversy over the participation of Christian Democrat delegate Hans Filbinger, a Third Reich naval judge who ordered the execution in 1945 of a German sailor who tried to flee from German-occupied Norway

Desertion in wartime is a crime punishable by death. Its even part of our own UCMJ. So what exactly is the controversey about? Germans don't want judges to enforce the law?

[Malesherbes]

Koehler got into a little trouble before the vote by making some remarks interpreted as anti-Bush and anti-American. The trouble arose not because the remarks were inconsistent with public opinion but because as President he is supposed to be somewhat above the fray.

In general, it doesn't make a lot of difference who is President of Germany. The job is largely ceremonial (but has very nice perks.)

[Bringbackthedraft]

"He warned that Germany's sluggish economy was in urgent need of reform and appealed for more patriotism." Uh Oh, I would start to worry when Germans use the last 2 words in that sentence.

[Michael81Dus]

Nah, the former Nazi-era judge has been member of the Federal Assembly the last 5 times (= since 25 years). This former judge has been Governor of a German state for years, and nobody cared about him the last times. The leftist media wanted to make it a big thing, and surely the foreign media welcomes everything that could show that Germany has not left its Nazi past behind.

Back to the real topic:
Prof. Köhler is a great man, and most important of all, he is a Patriot who understands economy. He´s not a socialist, but he knows "what must be done" in this country. His first speech made clear that he´ll use his representative office to engage politicians making strong and painful reforms. His first address to the nation ended with the words, which I´ve never heard from a Socialist in my country: "GOD BLESS OUR FATHERLAND!".

I´m happy, this is MY PRESIDENT! :-)

[Michael81Dus]

I disagree. He criticized Americas Iraq policy, which is somehow understandable, but he also expressed that he is considers himself to be a friend of the US (after all, he loved to live in D.C. for the last six years). The CDU would not have voted for him, if he were not standing to America.

[Michael81Dus]

"For me, Germany has been too slow on its path to a knowledge society," said the 61-year-old Köhler. He added he would also support efforts to continue with hard economic and social reforms. "We have to face reality. Germany will have to fight for its place in the 21st century."

Born in Skierbieszów, southeastern Poland on February 22, 1943, Köhler is the seventh of eight children. His parents were ethnic German farmers from Romania. The family moved to Leipzig in communist East Germany after World War II, then fled to West Germany in 1954.

He also has two children, one of them is blind.

I don´t want to tell you that this is the beginning of the end of Schröder and his Red-Greens. There have been so many dates called the beginning of the end. Maybe this is the end of the beginning of Schröders end. LOL. The real battle for Germany will take place in North-Rhine Westphalia (traditionally Red) next May. Polls show a nationwide lead for the opposition. Let´s wait and see, and hope that Köhlers first state visit to the foreign will not be Paris but Washington D.C. - the city where he has lived in the last six years.

[DeaconBenjamin]

ROFL

[DoctorMichael]

I´m happy, this is MY PRESIDENT! :-)

Thanks for the insight into events there. I've allowed my subscription to The Economist to lapse about 6 months ago so I haven't been keeping up with European events as much as I used to......too much to do at work.

Skierbieszów, southeastern Poland

Can't be that bad since thats the area where my ancestors hail from (Gorlice Poland, 4 generations ago on my fathers side). ;-)

{{I visited a long-lost relative who was born and grew up in Celle, Germany on a trip to Germany 2 years ago.}}

[Michael81Dus]

Soso, Herr Doktor. :) Have you enjoyed your trip to the "lost" continent? And in particular, have you been treated well here?

[DoctorMichael]

Celle was amazing! The center of 'old-town' Celle and the buildings there dated back to the 15-1600's and there was even a castle with a moat at one end! I was there just before Christmas so there was an outdoor market that my host took me to. We wandered through narrow cobble-stoned streets sampling the food and and wines. Very memorable.

I was wonderfully treated by someone who only knew me from E-Mails. He is a teacher also. He gave me the hospitality of his house (insisting that I stay with him and his family rather than a hotel) and his wife cooked a wonderful down-home meal that evening. We exchanged geneologies; I'm sure we're distantly related: We both trace our male lineages to Great-Grandfathers (born around 1875) from Gorlice. We need to go to Gorlice and access church records to find out if those two Great-Grandfathers were brothers or cousins.

Maybe on my next trip to Europe?

[longjack]

The German President is a figurehead position, not politically important.

Wolfgang Schaeuble, an America supporter was a top CDU/CSU candidate early, but was not endorsed highly, and Kohler was taken. I lost interest after Schaeuble was dropped, so I didn't really read too much about it.

The SPD didn't really seem to contest agressively, running a woman, which would have been a first.

The flap in the last few days about the nazi judge was probably the German version of an 'October surprise'. It may have had an effect, too, since the vote was closer than expected.

Schaeuble is an intellectual, straight-shooting trans-Atlantiker, while, Kohler appears to be more of a middle of the road guy, which is better, probably, for the position of President, but doesn't provide the idealogical contrast to the SPD that Schaeuble would have.

I still think German politics is in the 'milk-toast' mode. In spite of Schroeder's weak polls the CDU isn't going after him agressively by offering a concise, idealogically opposite alternative. Schaeuble would have represented that, at least from a US perspective. Kohler represents status-quo.

If Schroeder leaves, or the CDU otherwise garners majority, I don't think much will change. I think the CDU's poll numbers are feeding off the populace's disenchantment with Schroeder rather than the populace's enthusiasm for the CDU's policy.

As always, Just my opinion.

longjack

[CasearianDaoist]

Thanks, much appreciated

[DeuceTraveler]

I'm in Germany right now and have a friend who is in the CDP. He says the man's a good guy and hopes it bodes well for his party on the next national election.

[STFrancis]

I heard an interview with Koehler today on ZDF "Was nun" (What now?) on GermanTV. Haven't heard much about or from him really until today and was VERY impressed with him.

Said Germany would need to discover it's humor and compete harder with the rest of the world for jobs etc.. Got a leading question about the way he is going to treat Islam etc.. Said we need more dialogue with peaceful followers of Islam but can not tolerate Islamic schools in Germany teaching hate and allow celebration of 9-11 attacks. Don't need to account or find all the faults in the U.S. position to go to war with Iraq or gloat about American missteps but instead become a strong partner and find way's to assist and play a positive role in a coalition instead. Only with a democratic independent Iraq can the world win which the U.S. has provided.

He came across as knowledgable and friendly. Most of all he seemed to be have a very good humor and is very patriotic which is a nice change. Who would have thought a German leader would say something like "I am proud to be a German"... YEAH!!!

I to wish Schaeuble would have gotten the nominiation

[longjack]

I would gather Kohler's job is to pave the way for a Merkel candidancy. What you write about his interview sounds like something Merkel woild say. She got blasted last year after her pro-American stance, and I haven't seen her take up as strong a postion, since.

The CDU, in a strong position compared to the SPD now, still managed to embarassingly bumble their way through the process of picking a candidate and to show how high the level of infighting is in their ranks.

Schroeder / SPD have been smugly asserting that they were right about their pre-war assessment, and the German media, the ones that I've read at least, are running stories insinuating all possible levels of US ineptitude and brutality. (Israel as well for that matter). I haven't seem much Pro-US help from the CDU side during this onslaught.

That's why I pinged americanbychoice2. I'm sure he can add to the discussion about the anti-US onslaught in the German media.

Schaeuble. as you know, doesn't play those games. Schaeuble states flatly that waiting until you are attacked before taking military action is suicidal in this day and age, and that the US position is not just viable, but necessary. Obviously, that type of postion may not have gotten Schaeuble elected, which is my point, since I'm viewing German politics from a US frame of reference.

Kohler is probably better suited for the Federal President position than Schaeuble, since it is more the role of a goodwill ambassador, and his choice will strengthen Merkel's chances. I don't see this as a "taking the bull by the horns' move by the CDU, though. They're in a strong postion, but aren't converting that to policy that clearly distinguishes them from the SPD.

A poll I saw last week showed that 61% of the Germans didn't think any party in Germany could fix things, 24% thought the CDU could, 8% thought the SPD could. Those aren't numbers that ooze confidence, even in the CDU's choice of leadership.

longjack

P.S. STFrancis, Americanbychoice2.

Whew, Kaiserslautern barely hung on, and now Mainz 05. A Pfaelzer derby next year! Will Ballack come home to 'Betze'?

[gd124]

I have read elsewhere that he sentenced some deserters to death a couple of days before the surrender and then they were executed AFTER the surrender by a German navy firing squad using weapons given to them by the Canadians. That may be why this is an issue.