Monday, German President Horst Köhler resigned from his position. With his wife at his side, an emotional Köhler announced, “”I declare my resignation from the office of president — with immediate effect.”

Köhler’s quit leaves a vacuum that will add even more to Angela Merkel’s growing political worries, in between of criticism over a lack of decisive leadership, and a four-year low rating for her government in opinion polls.

Surprise Visit to Afghanistan Leads to Surprise Resignation

Horst Köhler ‘s surprise resignation follows heated criticism of his recent statements about the war in Afghanistan. During a May 22 visit to German soldiers in Afghanistan, Köhler told a reporter, “A country of our size, with its focus on exports and thus reliance on foreign trade, must be aware that … military deployments are necessary in an emergency to protect our interests — for example when it comes to trade routes, for example when it comes to preventing regional instabilities that could negatively influence our trade, jobs and incomes.”

Many interpreted the German President’s remark as a justification of war to protect economic interests, reigniting the controversy over Germany’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan.

Declining Political Power of the German President.

Though the Presidency is a high office, the duties are mostly ceremonial. Köhler received high marks in his first term for his strong speeches pushing for economic reform. However, his reputation as a public speaker suffered a sharp decline after the resignation of his press spokesman.

Karl-Rudolf Korte, one of the leading political scientists in Germany, suggested that it was not Köhler’s controversial comment alone that led to the surprise resignation. Korte explained that Köhler’s decision to resign might have been based largely on his declining influence.

Christian Wullf might take Horst Köhler´s Place

In yesterday´s news, the German government announced that they want suggest Christian Wulff, the current state premier of Lower Saxony, to be the follower of Horst Köhler. He accepted his nomination and thinks of the office of president “a great duty, with great responsibility“.