His departure is a setback for Mrs Merkel, who pushed through his appointment
in 2010 in spite of Mr Gauck’s popularity to help shore up support for her
government, which had been under pressure following a backlash over German
contributions of £175 billion in bail-outs for the euro debt crisis.
By supporting Mr Gauck now, Mrs Merkel could be accused of erring in her
choice two years ago. The 2010 election was a largely messy affair, with Mr
Wulff limping to victory in the third round of voting.
This time, rather than risk a divisive battle with the opposition – something
which could have distracted Berlin from solving the eurozone debt crisis –
she has now opted to back a consensus candidate.
The new president will be elected by a special assembly next month, but with
cross-party backing, the process should be a formality.
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