German President Wulff to resign

[RogueBeaver]

I guess he forgot that there are two sets of people politicians never make threatening phone calls to: judges and journalists. Is there a resignation watch, or are both he and Merkel hanging on and hoping that the story will fade away?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Wulff should retire. He has lost the credibility that is necessary to be a moral authority.

Did Wulff have a "moral authority" in first place? After all, he was just an unimpressive party loyalist picked to fill a seat, suddenly vacated by Koehler.

"Moral authority" was always important for German presidency because, frankly, there is nothing else about the office. Yet Wulff is a total joke when compared to such figures as Heuss, Heinemann, Weizsacker or Rau.

[minionofmidas]

Wulff should retire. He has lost the credibility that is necessary to be a moral authority.

Did Wulff have a "moral authority" in first place? After all, he was just an unimpressive party loyalist picked to fill a seat, suddenly vacated by Koehler.

"Moral authority" was always important for German presidency because, frankly, there is nothing else about the office. Yet Wulff is a total joke when compared to such figures as Heuss, Heinemann, Weizsacker or Rau.

But he holds up well compared to Heinrich Lübke and Karl Carstens!

[Middle-aged Europe]

Today's presidential story is that Merkel's coalition is allegedly discussing potential successors in case Wulff resigns.

Top candidates are supposedly Klaus Töpfer (first environment minister, then housing minister under Helmut Kohl, later head of the UN Environmental Programme) and Norbert Lammert (current president of the Bundestag).

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Wulff should retire. He has lost the credibility that is necessary to be a moral authority.

Did Wulff have a "moral authority" in first place? After all, he was just an unimpressive party loyalist picked to fill a seat, suddenly vacated by Koehler.

"Moral authority" was always important for German presidency because, frankly, there is nothing else about the office. Yet Wulff is a total joke when compared to such figures as Heuss, Heinemann, Weizsacker or Rau.

But he holds up well compared to Heinrich Lübke and Karl Carstens!

You know, it's just too bad the internet did not exist when Lübke was President

[Middle-aged Europe]

I find it hilarious that everyone is already busy with discussing potential successors, while Wulff himself still shows no intention of resigning.

[Franzl]

Wulff needs to go. I don't think he'll resign...but he's a disgrace to this office.

[MaxQue]

Can the elected people expell him?

[minionofmidas]

There is a constitutional impeachment process, for this office only. You need 2/3rd of the Bundestag to vote to impeach, and then the Constitutional Court to find him guilty in order to remove him. The Court may also issue an injunction keeping him from carrying out the duties of the office between the vote and the trial. However, he would have to be found guilty of violating the constitution, or committing a crime while in office, with intent in order to be removed.
Quite apart from the obviously absent political will to go through with this never-used procedure, I don't think the conditions are actually met. (Except that he signed the new election law without a hitch... hmmm... that probably was violating the Constitution with intent. )

[Middle-aged Europe]

Wulff needs to go. I don't think he'll resign...but he's a disgrace to this office.

At least he has recently supplied us with (already classic) lines like "presidents are entitled to human rights too!".

I wonder why Nixon never tried that defense.

[Middle-aged Europe]

We have finally reached the next level: In an effort to start a criminal investigation, the public prosecutor's office in Hannover has requested that the German Bundestag should lift Christian Wulff's immunity as president.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/prosecutors-urge-parliament-to-lift-immunity-of-german-president-amid-scandal/2012/02/16/gIQAp2X7HR_story.html

[jeron]

We have finally reached the next level: In an effort to start a criminal investigation, the public prosecutor's office in Hannover has requested that the German Bundestag should lift Christian Wulff's immunity as president.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/prosecutors-urge-parliament-to-lift-immunity-of-german-president-amid-scandal/2012/02/16/gIQAp2X7HR_story.html

I don't understand why the CDU and Merkel don't force this man to step down.

[Middle-aged Europe]

We have finally reached the next level: In an effort to start a criminal investigation, the public prosecutor's office in Hannover has requested that the German Bundestag should lift Christian Wulff's immunity as president.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/prosecutors-urge-parliament-to-lift-immunity-of-german-president-amid-scandal/2012/02/16/gIQAp2X7HR_story.html

I don't understand why the CDU and Merkel don't force this man to step down.

They could have at any given time. The disadvantages of doing it have just outweighed the advantages... so far.

In any case, it's probably time for some Lethal Weapon 2 parodies: Presidential immunity - REVOKED!

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Rumours are Wulff is going to announce his resignation at 11.00 AM.

[2952-0-0]

In any other country, if two heads of state resigned within a year, it would be a deep political crisis. Yes, the President has no real powers, but still...

[Middle-aged Europe]

Wulff has just resigned, effective immediately.

Bavarian PM Horst Seehofer (CSU) becomes acting president.

[Antonio the Sixth]

ROFL

[Franzl]

It's a disgrace that it took that long, but happy to see him gone. Proud to say I was against him from the beginning...

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Rumours are Wulff is going to announce his resignation at 11.00 AM.

And now, I will accept my accolades.

[minionofmidas]

In june 2010, Horst Köhler resigned as President days before a state trip to Burkina Faso.

In 2012, Christian Wulff resigned just days before that same state trip to Burkina Faso, postponed due to Köhler's resignation and then scheduling issues etc.

[Tender Branson]

About time ...

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

In june 2010, Horst Köhler resigned as President days before a state trip to Burkina Faso.

In 2012, Christian Wulff resigned just days before that same state trip to Burkina Faso, postponed due to Köhler's resignation and then scheduling issues etc.

Obviously, they resigned because they didn't want to visit Burkina Faso! [/conspiracy theorist]

[minionofmidas]

They know something we don't... that there is an assassin lurking in Ougadougou. Probably somebody rightfully offended at being equated with tax fraud enablers.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I must say that, as a stalwart supporter of the parliamentary form of government, I always liked model of the German presidency. Largely ceremonial and powerless, but, unlike proverbal British Queen, many of the Presidents commanded a considerable deal of, let's say, moral authority and used the office to raise issues (Heuss, Heinemann, von Weizsäcker, Rau comes to the mind). Of course there were idiots or failures, like Lübke or, now, Wulff, but idiots and failures can occupy every position, with real power or not. Certainly, someone like Gauck would fit well into Heuss/Heinemann/von Weizsäcker/Rau traditions.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

A German President involved in some corruption stuffs??

The rapprochement between France and Germany becomes bigger and bigger.

You'd still have to work on it though. No way a French politician resigns.