The German president, Christian Wulff, has resigned after being caught up in a corruption scandal involving a dubious loan, an apparent attempt to blackmail a German tabloid and a string of apparently undeclared freebies.
Wulff – who had only served as the head of state since 2010 – stepped down on Friday after prosecutors said they had asked the German parliament to lift his immunity.
They said they had "factual indications" of Wulff's long-suspected improper ties to business executives.
The chancellor, Angela Merkel, cancelled a trip to visit the Italian premier, Mario Monti, in order to deal with the fallout.
Wulff, a member of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party, had been her personal choice for president. His departure is an unwelcome distraction for the chancellor as she tries to control the spiralling debt crisis that threatens to tear Europe apart.
Germany's president has very little power, but the primary role of the largely ceremonial position is to serve as a moral authority, which is why Wulff had to go.
Giving his resignation speech from his official Berlin residence, Bellvue palace, he insisted he had "always acted correctly according to the law" but conceded that he had made "mistakes".
He had lost the trust of the German people, he said, and had become a distraction from the issues of the day.
For me and most people I know the biggest issue wasn't that he took a loan that could be seen as corruption... it's that he lied about it and kept pretending nothing was wrong.
Last edited by Skgoa on 2012-02-17 05:34am, edited 1 time in total.
This is pre-WWII. You can sort of tell from the sketch style, from thee way it refers to Japan (Japan in the 1950s was still rebuilding from WWII), the spelling of Tokyo, lots of details. Nothing obvious... except that the upper right hand corner of the page reads "November 1931." --- Simon_Jester
This is useless unless the bastard alo loses all immunity and gets dragged into court and pays exorbitant fines until he's bankrupt. Otherwise he'sll enjoy his nice uber-high pension, a government-paid armoured limousine and three bodyguards. Hope that doesn't happen.
Lì ci sono chiese, macerie, moschee e questure, lì frontiere, prezzi inaccessibile e freddure
Lì paludi, minacce, cecchini coi fucili, documenti, file notturne e clandestini
Qui incontri, lotte, passi sincronizzati, colori, capannelli non autorizzati,
Uccelli migratori, reti, informazioni, piazze di Tutti i like pazze di passioni...
...La tranquillità è importante ma la libertà è tutto!
Finally...
He should have done himself that favour a long, long time ago. Now let's see what the circus produces as a candidate next.
Great Dolphin Conspiracy - Chatter box
"Implications: we have been intercepted deliberately by a means unknown, for a purpose unknown, and transferred to a place unknown by a form of intelligence unknown. Apart from the unknown, everything is obvious." ZORAC GALE Force Euro Wimp Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
That's the problem with CDU politicians: they tend to hold onto their posts because they think they can wait out the storm. Schäuble is STILL around - as fucking Minister of Finance -, even though he was deeply involved in the CDU's big corruption scandal more than a decade ago.
@stas: I'm not sure but I think he will always have those perks. At least they are trying to get a criminal prosecusion going.
This is pre-WWII. You can sort of tell from the sketch style, from thee way it refers to Japan (Japan in the 1950s was still rebuilding from WWII), the spelling of Tokyo, lots of details. Nothing obvious... except that the upper right hand corner of the page reads "November 1931." --- Simon_Jester
Stas Bush wrote:This is useless unless the bastard alo loses all immunity and gets dragged into court and pays exorbitant fines until he's bankrupt. Otherwise he'sll enjoy his nice uber-high pension, a government-paid armoured limousine and three bodyguards. Hope that doesn't happen.
The Bundestag is planning to remove his immunity in the first session of next week according to Süddeutsche Zeitung.
I doubt he'll go bankrupt or thrown into jail though.
SoS:NBAGALE Force "Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent." - Sir Nitram
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"The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." - Wilhelm Stekel
"In 1969 it was easier to send a man to the Moon than to have the public accept a homosexual" - Broomstick Divine Administration - of Gods and Bureaucracy (Worm/Exalted)
Skgoa wrote:That's the problem with CDU politicians: they tend to hold onto their posts because they think they can wait out the storm. Schäuble is STILL around - as fucking Minister of Finance -, even though he was deeply involved in the CDU's big corruption scandal more than a decade ago.
Pfft. That was small fries in comparison to the current crop. Now Schröder is working for Gazprom, Lafontaine is pitching a fit if he is not always kept up in luxury hotels and only flies first class, the former Green state secretary for health is working for the goddamned tobacco lobby and the one whose agenda it was to promote healthy living is working for Nestle.
That being said, it is a good thing the idiot is finally gone. Ever since he dumped his wife for that arrogant "reporter" he has been nothing but a laughingstock.
Whoever says "education does not matter" can try ignorance
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A decision must be made in the life of every nation at the very moment when the grasp of the enemy is at its throat. Then, it seems that the only way to survive is to use the means of the enemy, to rest survival upon what is expedient, to look the other way. Well, the answer to that is 'survival as what'? A country isn't a rock. It's not an extension of one's self. It's what it stands for. It's what it stands for when standing for something is the most difficult! - Chief Judge Haywood
------------ My LPs
Thanas wrote:That being said, it is a good thing the idiot is finally gone. Ever since he dumped his wife for that arrogant "reporter" he has been nothing but a laughingstock.
I don't think it's fair to criticise him for his wife. She attracted some media attention, but laughingstock? If you want to criticise politicians for their wives and marriages, there are worse offenders around...
Great Dolphin Conspiracy - Chatter box
"Implications: we have been intercepted deliberately by a means unknown, for a purpose unknown, and transferred to a place unknown by a form of intelligence unknown. Apart from the unknown, everything is obvious." ZORAC GALE Force Euro Wimp Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
Yeah, but his wife somehow managed to piss off the entire reporting corps with her cold and arrogant attitude. Also, there are no scandals from the time he was still married. May just be a coincidence, but I am not much in favor of guys who leave their wife (and children) for someone half their age.
Whoever says "education does not matter" can try ignorance
------------
A decision must be made in the life of every nation at the very moment when the grasp of the enemy is at its throat. Then, it seems that the only way to survive is to use the means of the enemy, to rest survival upon what is expedient, to look the other way. Well, the answer to that is 'survival as what'? A country isn't a rock. It's not an extension of one's self. It's what it stands for. It's what it stands for when standing for something is the most difficult! - Chief Judge Haywood
------------ My LPs
Thanas wrote:Yeah, but his wife somehow managed to piss off the entire reporting corps with her cold and arrogant attitude. Also, there are no scandals from the time he was still married. May just be a coincidence, but I am not much in favor of guys who leave their wife (and children) for someone half their age.
Schröder, Fischer, Lafontaine, Seehofer, ...
In this respect, I think they are still entitled to their feelings and love whoever they want. I rather have them leave the wife and children in a clean cut than have a fake marriage to uphold the image and make everyone unhappy. And as long both are of legal age, I don't see the problem; they have to make it work, not you
Great Dolphin Conspiracy - Chatter box
"Implications: we have been intercepted deliberately by a means unknown, for a purpose unknown, and transferred to a place unknown by a form of intelligence unknown. Apart from the unknown, everything is obvious." ZORAC GALE Force Euro Wimp Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
Thanas wrote:Yeah, but his wife somehow managed to piss off the entire reporting corps with her cold and arrogant attitude. Also, there are no scandals from the time he was still married. May just be a coincidence, but I am not much in favor of guys who leave their wife (and children) for someone half their age.
Schröder, Fischer, Lafontaine, Seehofer, ...
Not a lot of respect I have for these guys either.
In this respect, I think they are still entitled to their feelings and love whoever they want. I rather have them leave the wife and children in a clean cut than have a fake marriage to uphold the image and make everyone unhappy. And as long both are of legal age, I don't see the problem; they have to make it work, not you
Doesn't mean my criticism of his actions since the divorce is not valid.
Whoever says "education does not matter" can try ignorance
------------
A decision must be made in the life of every nation at the very moment when the grasp of the enemy is at its throat. Then, it seems that the only way to survive is to use the means of the enemy, to rest survival upon what is expedient, to look the other way. Well, the answer to that is 'survival as what'? A country isn't a rock. It's not an extension of one's self. It's what it stands for. It's what it stands for when standing for something is the most difficult! - Chief Judge Haywood
------------ My LPs
Thanas wrote:Not a lot of respect I have for these guys either.
At least they stood for something, regardless if you support that "something". With Merkel and Company, it is by far more difficult to find out what they are exactly for. And Schröder at least gave entertaining pieces for the media (the infamous "Elefantenrunde" with Merkel still has a soft spot in my heart...).
Doesn't mean my criticism of his actions since the divorce is not valid.
Given his actions, he would have been kicked out even if he still was married to his previous wife, so for me this is a non-issue...
Great Dolphin Conspiracy - Chatter box
"Implications: we have been intercepted deliberately by a means unknown, for a purpose unknown, and transferred to a place unknown by a form of intelligence unknown. Apart from the unknown, everything is obvious." ZORAC GALE Force Euro Wimp Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
Thanas wrote:Not a lot of respect I have for these guys either.
At least they stood for something, regardless if you support that "something". With Merkel and Company, it is by far more difficult to find out what they are exactly for. And Schröder at least gave entertaining pieces for the media (the infamous "Elefantenrunde" with Merkel still has a soft spot in my heart...).
I don't really think they stood for that much. Especially not considering their careers after their political life.
Whoever says "education does not matter" can try ignorance
------------
A decision must be made in the life of every nation at the very moment when the grasp of the enemy is at its throat. Then, it seems that the only way to survive is to use the means of the enemy, to rest survival upon what is expedient, to look the other way. Well, the answer to that is 'survival as what'? A country isn't a rock. It's not an extension of one's self. It's what it stands for. It's what it stands for when standing for something is the most difficult! - Chief Judge Haywood
------------ My LPs
