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. (more…)

The new German defense minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg is famous for being a charismatic politician who knows how to attract the attention of people. He is a conservative politician from Bavaria who made his point earlier this year, when he criticised the subventions for the automobile company Opel, a subcompany of General Motors.

Right from the beginning, zu Guttenberg made clear that he stands for political directness and does not hesitate to speak his mind. Therefore, people were not wondering when he described the ongoings and involvements of German soldiers in a different way than his predecessor: he spoke of warlike events in Afghanistan. (more…)