The resignation of German President Christian Wulff has diminished the standing of Chancellor Angela Merkel but the episode confirms the strength of the country's public processes. Mr. Wulff resigned on February 17 after months of scandal over murky financial dealings and more recent attempts to suppress reportage of these by leaving threatening voicemail messages for the editors of two newspapers. Mr. Wulff is the second Merkel presidential nominee in under two years to quit amid controversy; his predecessor, Horst Köhler, resigned in 2010 after claiming that deploying troops abroad benefited the German economy. The allegations against Mr. Wulff are that during his term as Minister President of Lower Saxony from 2003 to 2010, he had not told the State Assembly about a €500,000 home loan, which he later managed to refinance at a discounted rate. He had also taken holidays in wealthy friends' villas in Tuscany and Mallorca respectively, and another friend paid for the Wulff family's upgrade at a luxury Munich hotel.
The President's departure certainly damages Germany domestically and internationally, not least by exposing the Chancellor's poor judgment. German criticism of improprieties in other countries also loses weight. Germany, of course, has had other corruption problems. In 2000, Helmut Kohl, former Chancellor and leader of Ms Merkel's own party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), had to admit his party had received two million deutschmarks in undeclared donations, mainly from arms-industry lobbyists; he resigned the party's honorary presidency. As for Mr. Wulff, he has been hoist by his own petard; he himself passed strict laws on public officials' conduct in Lower Saxony, where state-school teachers have been prosecuted for accepting free tickets to amusement parks. Yet the quality of Germany's body politic is shown by public anger over the demeaning of the highest national office, which carries much power: among other things, the President can veto legislation, nominate a replacement Chancellor, and dissolve the federal parliament. In addition, public prosecutors in the Lower Saxony capital, Hanover, have asked the Bundestag to lift Mr. Wulff's immunity from prosecution. The contrast with India, where governments and prosecutors must be dragged kicking and screaming to court before they agree to investigate and prosecute politicians accused of corruption couldn't be greater. Germany has provided a clear lesson in what substantive probity in public life can mean.
Keywords: German President Christian Wulff, resignation, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, German economy, Christian Democratic Union
Its true that on the first look the democratic system in Germany
worked very well. There seems to be some mistakes on side of the
president and with the scrutiny of the media it made him resign. But
if you take a closer look you wonder why these reproaches just came up
recently. Have they been really so new? In my opinion some certain
people wanted him out of the office. Not the chancellor, because Mr.
Wulffs resignation made her weak, but other conservative powers in
the country. The only remarkable appraoch by Wulff was his
declaration that by now even the Islam is part of Germany. Well a
lot of conservatives went against this 'allegation' and therefore
wanted him out......
Here in India politicians and ministers adhere to power and position after increase pressure of their resignation of alleged involvemenat in unlawful activities and that has been proved by prima facia. And in some time head the government facing court proceedings we can’t seen such storied in true democratic countries and this an clear evident to politicians to not to stick to power and leave position immediate received any evident based allegation against them instead become admant and stubborn.
Indeed, the author nails it on the head. It's not as if developed countries do not
suffer from corruption at the highest levels. It is merely the consequences that lie in
store for those caught red-handed, a stark contrast to India where those in power
can engage in corruption and crime with impunity. The rule of law just isn't there.
The Germans and the Japanese have a lot in common that makes them such a doughty and mighty people. I shall always remember watching Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary (A Minister) being arrested for corruption inside the Diet (Parliament) and being marched off to jail in handcuffs by the Police. Will India ever be as civilized or remain in the thrall of a criminal elite?
Our politicians lack national character. Lack of probity in public life dates back to Nehruvian times when Krishna Menon was promoted (rather than sacked)in the aftermath of Jeep Scandal. Lalu Prasad Yadav became an important minister after being tainterd with Fodder Scam. 2G-Scam-notorious Raja continued for quite some time because of so called coalition compulsions until it became impossible to protect him. No rational human being would believe that the the then FM Chidambaram and PM Manamohan Singh did not know about the collosal 3G Scam. Still they unashmedly continue. B You are too optimistic in advising that they should learn lessons from German example. Even if voters kick them out, they would not. They have become too thick-skinned for such niceties.
"The contrast with India, where governments and prosecutors must be dragged kicking and screaming to court before they agree to investigate and prosecute politicians accused of corruption couldn't be greater. Germany has provided a clear lesson in what substantive probity in public life can mean." The best lines of the article.Very true.There are so many corruption cases over so many government officials and politicians hanging from a long time,but till date very few have been punised or have taken the pain to step down .Thats to indian judiciary that is playing the role of both a guardian and enforcement agency of the consititution.
Wow, if these are the charges for which a Head of State has resigned, then if these same criteria are to be taken into account to prosecute Indian politicians, there would be almost no one left to govern the country or the state!
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