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[close to the edge]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/10198036.stm

Mr Koehler, whose job is largely ceremonial, had linked missions such as the Afghanistan deployment with the defence of economic interests.

His remarks drew criticism from a number of German politicians.

This came out of nowhere. I didn't even hear about those remarks he made. :/

 

[sphinx]

I just recently read about it.

How does this affect the country? I know, stupid question but as far as I know, the president here doesn't have may duties anyway.. now Frau Merkel resigning would be something.

 

[CrankyJay]

 

[Xater]

I just recently read about it.

How does this affect the country? I know, stupid question but as far as I know, the president here doesn't have may duties anyway.. now Frau Merkel resigning would be something.

Just like it says in the OP, he is for the most par tnot that important.

 

[Shanadeus]

I've never heard of the guy, need to stay more up to date about Europe I think.

 

[Shiggy]

I just recently read about it.

How does this affect the country? I know, stupid question but as far as I know, the president here doesn't have may duties anyway.. now Frau Merkel resigning would be something.

Nothing will change. Horst Köhler hid under his rock the last few months (years?), so no-one even noticed that he was still there until he made comments about the Bundeswehr most recently.
His duties will be carried out by the mayor of Bremen until a new president is elected.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Just like it says in the OP, he is for the most par tnot that important.

Well he's the dude who signs (and can block) most of the laws which go through parliament, he also can accept the resign of the chancellor and parliament. He also announces new votes.

 

[Hypertrooper]

Just like it says in the OP, he is for the most par tnot that important.

Arccording to Zeit.de the resigns could affect the CDU/FDP government

 

[Jacobi]

All he said was the truth...

 

[Shiggy]

Arccording to Zeit.de the resigns could affect the CDU/FDP government

They need to find a new candidate until June 30th. I have severe doubts that they can agree on one candidate...they can't agree on anything, it seems.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

I see that there's a thread about it already and I even posted in this one thinking it was the one I created... :lol

 

[thy_]

They need to find a new candidate until June 30th. I have severe doubts that they can agree on one candidate...they can't agree on anything, it seems.

:O
Roland Koch for President!

 

[Shiggy]

:O
Roland Koch for President!

 

[vazel]

I see that there's a thread about it already and I even posted in this one thinking it was the one I created... :lol

 

[selig]

How does this affect the country? .

Probably not much, but it´s quite telling about Germany´s general state, when the one good politician leaves the (sinking?) boat.

 

[Shiggy]

Probably not much, but it´s quite telling about Germany´s general state, when the one good politician leaves the (sinking?) boat.

Why do you consider him as "the one good politician"? He's done next to nothing. Other former presidents at least did something noteworthy. I cannot remember anything akin to this from Hotte (that's why comedians made fun of him).

 

[BertramCooper]

In all honesty, I didn't even know Germany had a president.

I hear about Chancellor Merkel all of the time, but I had no idea this dude even existed.

 

[wrowa]

Probably not much, but it´s quite telling about Germany´s general state, when the one good politician leaves the (sinking?) boat.

Wat.

How is Köhler a "good politician"? As the Bundespräsident he isn't involved in actual politics and he doesn't have any real responsibilities.

Well he's the dude who signs (and can block) most of the laws which go through parliament, he also can accept the resign of the chancellor and parliament. He also announces new votes.

He has to sign laws, but he isn't really allowed to block any. He also isn't allowed to decide whether or not the parliament or the chancellor is allowed to resign - he is the one who has to accept it, but he doesn't have any room for own judgement as long as the resigning process is conform to the constitution.

How does this affect the country? I know, stupid question but as far as I know, the president here doesn't have may duties anyway.. now Frau Merkel resigning would be something.

Exactly. Due to historical reasons (in the Weimar Republic - the first German democracy - too much power was focused on the Reichspresident, which made it possible to abandon the democracy alltogether - a fact that was abused by the Reichschancellor and later Reichspresident Hitler ... the rest is history) the German president only has very, very few responsibilities.

 

[thy_]

In all honesty, I didn't even know Germany had a president.

I hear about Chancellor Merkel all of the time, but I had no idea this dude even existed.

He is something like our queen.

 

[vazel]

You damn noobs. Who do you think replaced the Kaiser when he abdicated. Kaiser was much cooler btw. Monarchy > *.

 

[Shiggy]

You damn noobs. Who do you think replaced the Kaiser when he abdicated. Kaiser was much cooler btw. Monarchy > *.

We still got a Kaiser, you know?

 

[vazel]

We still got a Kaiser, you know?

Someone better tell the House of Brandenburg.

Edit: Err, that would be Hohenzollern.

 

[thy_]

Someone better tell the House of Brandenburg.

Edit: Err, that would be Hohenzollern.

Well Kaiser Franz Anton I. is actually Bavarian.

 

[vazel]

Well Kaiser Franz Anton I. is actually Bavarian.

Had to Google that. You people almost had me going.

 

[Sickboy007]

Was he speaking of Afghanistan or Somali pirates? because if it's the latter he was obviously right.

 

[theignoramus]

Only commissars bent on the party line could possibly take issue with what he says. If anything, German troops in Afghanistan incite terror plots against the country, it's obvious NATO troops are there to enforce and protect the interests of the pro-Western, warlord regime.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Was he speaking of Afghanistan or Somali pirates? because if it's the latter he was obviously right.

He said it in a speech about Afghanistan, but according to spiegel he was referring to pirates.

 

[Xater]

Well he's the dude who signs (and can block) most of the laws which go through parliament, he also can accept the resign of the chancellor and parliament. He also announces new votes.

True but it just means that they need to find a new puppet.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

True but it just means that they need to find a new puppet.

When he came into office he refused to sign a couple of new laws and he told the parliament to rework them. Well..

 

[i_am_ben]

In all honesty, I didn't even know Germany had a president.

I hear about Chancellor Merkel all of the time, but I had no idea this dude even existed.

neither did I.

 

[Art Teitlebaum]

Great, I never liked this bloke. He was the president of all the neoliberal economists and as a sherpa for Kohl and Waigel was responsible for many terrible financial mistakes after reunification.
Good to see him resigning. This will bring the coalition under nice pressure.

 

[Haunted]

The president's duties are mostly representative, yes.

The proper head of state is the chancellor.

ahaha

 

[Battersea Power Station]

(mispost)

 

[Shiggy]

When he came into office he refused to sign a couple of new laws and he told the parliament to rework them. Well..

Right, he refused to sign a law that would have strengthened the rights of consumers. But it's his duty: If the law is against the constitution, he won't be able to sign them. He didn't do so just because he didn't like these laws.

 

[Sigmond]

What a pleasant surprise.

Coming right off his tenure as head of the IMF, Köhler tried to steer Germany toward "modernization" (read: total submission to the dictates of the global markets) and recently advocated interventionism for economic reasons (trade imperialism, basically - par for the course for an IMF functionary). Unfortunately, he didn't realize that the German president is a powerless figurehead, got pissed that nobody listened to his drivel, took his ball and went home, all the while bitching that people didn't have enough "respect" for him. What a pathetic clown. A pity he'll receive a massive pension for the rest of his life...

Anyway, good riddance to bad rubbish, as they say. He won't be missed.

 

[kame-sennin]

"Politician tells truth, resigns from office."

Sounds about right.