German President Joachim Gauck said, on Monday June 06,2016, that he would not
stand for a second term, creating a political headache for Chancellor
Angela Merkel ahead of an election year.
The popular Joachim Gauck(76) who has
held the largely ceremonial post of head of state since 2012, made
the announcement at Berlin’s Bellevue Palace, citing his advanced age.
“I’m grateful to be doing fine,” he said, after speculation about health concerns. “At the same time, I am aware that the life phase between 77 and 82 is a different one than the one I am in now. I cannot guarantee that I would have the same energy and vitality for another five-year term.”
German President Joachim Gauck, a charismatic Protestant pastor, rose to prominence as a human rights activist in communist East Germany and was instrumental in the movement which helped topple the Berlin Wall in 1989.
German President Joachim Gauck's decision not to run for a second mandate complicates the political equation for Angela Merkel, who will have to fill the job just as campaigning for the general election, expected to be held in September 2017, kicks off.
Angela Merkel, who has been in power since 2006, has not yet announced whether she herself will stand for a fourth term
“I’m grateful to be doing fine,” he said, after speculation about health concerns. “At the same time, I am aware that the life phase between 77 and 82 is a different one than the one I am in now. I cannot guarantee that I would have the same energy and vitality for another five-year term.”
German President Joachim Gauck, a charismatic Protestant pastor, rose to prominence as a human rights activist in communist East Germany and was instrumental in the movement which helped topple the Berlin Wall in 1989.
German President Joachim Gauck's decision not to run for a second mandate complicates the political equation for Angela Merkel, who will have to fill the job just as campaigning for the general election, expected to be held in September 2017, kicks off.
Angela Merkel, who has been in power since 2006, has not yet announced whether she herself will stand for a fourth term
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