Germany’s popular President Steinmeier poised for second term

Berlin (dpa) – German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected to be voted in for a second five-year term on Sunday at a specially convened gathering in Berlin.

Veteran politican and Social Democrat Steinmeier, 66, received the backing of all three parties in the German coalition government weeks ahead of Sunday’s sitting of the Federal Convention.

The conservative opposition has also given its support to Steinmeier, a former foreign minister and former vice chancellor, meaning that he is set to cruise to re-election in the first round of voting.

The post of federal president is a mainly ceremonial one in Germany, but the holder signs bills into law, is frequently on the public stage inside and outside the country, and speaks on current political issues.

During his first term in office, Steinmeier championed liberal democracy in Germany and during trips abroad. He called for dialogue between opponents on the most sensitive issues of the day, including recently plans for compulsory vaccination against the coronavirus.

A recent opinion poll indicated that 85 per cent of the German population thought he was doing a good job.

The Federal Convention, this year numbering some 1,472 members, comes together for the sole purpose of choosing a president.

Half of the body comprises members of parliament, and half comprise representatives sent by Germany’s 16 states. The national football coach, Hansi Flick, is among those invited this year.

Three other candidates have been nominated for the presidency, but they are seen as having no hope of winning: left-winger Gerhard Trabert; physicist Stefanie Gebauer who was nominated by a political group called the Free Voters; and the arch-conservative Max Otte.

The nomination of Otte, a member of the Christian Democrats (CDU), by the far-right Alternative for Germany (Afd) party caused a furore in the CDU, a mainstream centre-right party that has tried hard to distance itself from the nationalists.

His acceptance of the AfD nomination led to an immediate reaction from the CDU leaders, who vowed to have the trained economist removed from the party. Otte insisted the move was not intended as a provocation.

The size of the gathering and coronavirus restrictions mean that there is not enough space in the usual Reichstag parliament building for the meeting. It is therefore being held in the nearby Paul Löbe House, with some participants taking part via video link from different rooms.