A new president in Germany  

                                                                                                         By Katrina Wood

 

 

In early 2017 in Germany: a new president elected

Published Feb 14, 2017  03:01   CET   UTC  +01:00

Edited:   Feb 27, 2017  03:17    CET    UTC +01.00

 


The previous German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is now the newly-elected president of Germany. He has been elected president by a large majority of a Federal Convention that included members of national and state parliaments and community representatives.

 

He will replace Joachim Gauck, who is not seeking to be re-elected to the position he has held as Germany's president, and which he has held for a single term.

 

Steinmeier has been Germany's foreign minister for seven years - appointed in 2005.

 

'He was elected head of state by an overwhelming majority of a specially constituted Federal Convention, comprising members of the country's national and state parliaments as well as community representatives.

 

Steinmeier was endorsed by the major parties and Chancellor Angela Merkel, leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who said he would be "an excellent president" but that he came to power "in difficult times." '

 

(source: Michael Fischer, dpa. Source: dpa-news.de)

 

The German presidency allows for the option of serving a maximum of two terms. Steinmeier will take the position next month; his first term will last five years.

 

Among his previous positions, he was vice chancellor, and chief of staff to chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in 1999.

 

 

 

written by Katrina Wood, journalistfrei.de, and with information from

dpa news-de

sources of information include dpa-news.de

 

 

 

 

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