The problems surrounding German President Christian Wulff have compounded those Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing, to the point where her coalition government could collapse. The presidency is largely ceremonial, but Mr. Wulff has been involved in murky financial deals and has now tried to intimidate the press. As Minister President of Lower Saxony from 2003 to 2010, he was evasive about a €500,000 home loan, which he later refinanced at a discounted rate, from a rich friend; he had holidays in the villas of other wealthy friends in Tuscany and Mallorca; and another associate paid for the Wulff family's upgrade at a luxury hotel during the Munich Oktoberfest. The Lower Saxony assembly is investigating possible procedural breaches, but Mr. Wulff, a career politician in the Chancellor's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, has made matters worse, leaving voicemails threatening the tabloid Das Bild and its owners, the Axel Springer group, with “judicial consequences” and “war” if they published the story. The President has also pressured the daily Die Welt, inviting accusations of attempted censorship and of conduct demeaning to the presidency.
Mr. Wulff is a particular liability for Ms Merkel because he is the second successive president to be embroiled in controversy; his predecessor Horst Köhler, also from the CDU, resigned in 2010 after saying military involvement abroad was good for the German economy. Secondly, Mr. Wulff, a Merkel nominee, is less than popular with his party, which despite its majority in the relevant electoral college, the Federal Assembly, needed three rounds of voting to confirm his appointment. In addition, the CDU's coalition partners, the neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), are causing the Chancellor problems. The FDP has polled at 3 per cent or less for a year now, and is riven by internal feuding. The CSU leaders, for their part, are furious about being left out of coalition discussions on tax cuts. Meanwhile, the opposition Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Sigmar Gabriel has shrewdly offered to negotiate over a replacement president, while keeping in reserve the highly respected Joachim Gauck, a priest and rights activist. The CDU has its own headaches; having lost its Baden-Württemberg stronghold to the Greens in 2011, it faces provincial elections in Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony. Ms Merkel's personal ratings are good, but while losing one president may be a political misfortune, losing two presidents would look like very bad political judgment. The Chancellor and her coalition have a long, hard road to walk before the 2013 general election.
Mr. Wulff was brought into limelight only because of the media i.e. the tabloid 'Das Bild' I think there are also some financial issues between Mr. Wulff and Das Bild or at least with some of the editors of the tabloid. Mr. Wulff and the former german defence minister Guttenberg made use of the media especially the tabloid Das Bild. The glamour couples Wulff-Christina should now reap the consequences.
Are we reminded of many a things in our own country against which the President is a rooky. We often forget to line the border between what is ethical and what is not.Use and Misuse of Public Funded prerogatives become so much mired and our funcyioneries are NOT RESPECTED bu "REVERED" and are above reproach. Will any one ever know how much is drained out of our coffers as
misused(another form of corruption)and exploited.Our Law Makers who are elected to keep a watch are -themselves- clamouring for more to feed their egos.Once in a while Accounting Institutions come out with figures and Very Soon Get Ridiculed by Cabinet Ministers,Politicians etc.
A good perception,of international current affairs.
The wish of Germany´s President Christian Wulff to stay in office despite a mounting series of scandals weighing on him and his ally has little to do with reality. The pressure on German President Christian Wulff to resign has been mounting in recent days. But in a highly anticipated television appearance some time ago, the head of state made it clear that he had no intention of stepping down. The trouble for Mr.Wulff started last month when the German newspaper Bild reported hat he had concealed a home loan at an advantageous interest rate he accepted from the wife of a tycoon friend while premier of Lower Saxony state. And the scandal goes on , Germany´s President Mr. Wulff had called Bild’s editor-in-chief Kai Diekmann one day before the story’s publication and left a blistering voicemail message threatening him with “war” if he went ahead with the report.
And a reporter of Welt am Sonntag had been summoned to the presidential palace for a dressing-down over another article about Mr Wulff’s strained relationship with his half-sister. In the interview some time ago, Mr. Wulff said his calling the editor in chief of the Bild Zeitung had been a serious mistake and that was unworthy for a president.
A democracy needs a strong and powerful and liberal press therefore freedom of press is essential for a liberal state. Mr. Wulff who is the President of Germany called the editor -in-chief of the Bild Zeitung and threatened him with “war” if he went ahead with the report.One can only shake his head , the President of Germany threatens an editor- in chief with “war”. This is unbelievable and it shows that Mr. Wulff is not qualified to be in office.Germany enjoys a high reputation all over the world as a liberal and democratic and economic strong country. Germany needs an outstanding personality as president with an impeccable character. To interfere in the coverage of the press and to threaten with “war” is very serious and it undermines the credibility of Mr. Wulff. In the interest of Germany Mr. Wulff must resign immediately.
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