Sunday, February 12, 2017

New German president

Frank-Walter Steinmeier was today elected by the Federal Assembly President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

He succeeds Joachim Gauck, who some months ago announced his decision not to seek a second term as president.

President Steinmeier, who is the 12th man in the job, was a member of the SPD and a former German Foreign Minister.

He was born in Detmold in Westphalia. His father was a carpenter and his mother, who was present in the Bundestag today, is a refugee from Breslau, today Wrocklaw in Poland.

Steinmeier will move into Schloss Bellevue, in the heart of Berlin on March 19.

Included in the electorate who voted for a new president was German football manager, Joachim Löw.

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