German president Gauk will not seek second term

Germany’s 11th post-war president, Joachim Gauck, said he will not run for a second five-year term which could cause trouble for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government on selecting a successor.

The 76-year-old, former Lutheran pastor and East German dissident, has been president since 2012 and said his age had been a factor in his decision.

Speaking at Bellevue presidential palace in Berlin he said, “I'm thankful that I'm well but at the same time I'm aware that the period between the 77th and 82nd year of one's life is different to the one in which I find myself now.

"I don't want to presume an energy and vitality for another five years that I can't guarantee.”

The presidency is largely a ceremonial role and is not directly elected by the people but by the Federal Convention, which consists of the German parliament and delegates from state parliaments.

Angela Merkel, 61, has not confirmed if she will seek a fourth term as chancellor in 2017, but the announcement of Gauck’s decision not to run effectively starts the general election campaign 15 months early, according to Spiegel Online. Gauck’s successor will be chosen less than six months before the general election.

Gauck was initially opposed by Merkel as her preference was for Christian Wulff, who resigned as president in a financial scandal in 2012. Merkel conceded and supported Gauck when her then coalition partner the Free Democrats supported him.

Merkel needs the support of at least one other party for her nominee.

The vacancy could be an opportunity to rebuild the relationship between Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) after CSU’s public criticism of Merkel’s refugee policy.

Merkel could have trouble with her coalition junior partner the Social Democrats (SU) asserting its independence before the general election or, supporting a candidate together to oppose the Green and Left parties.

Possible presidential contenders are CDU finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, 73, the nation’s longest-serving law maker, SD foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeiser, CDU speaker of the Bundestag parliament Norbert Lammert and Bavarian conservative Gerda Hasselfeldt.