German Jews Welcome Election of Steinmeier as Ceremonial President
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
BERLIN (JTA) – The Central Council of Jews in Germany welcomed the election of Frank-Walter Steinmeier as Germany’s next president, calling him among the “most upright and staunch
advocates of our democratic values and our constitution,” as well as a strong supporter of Israel.
Steinmeier, a member of the Social Democratic Party who stepped down from his position as foreign minister under German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democratic Union party at the end of January, on Sunday won an absolute majority, with 931 of the 1253 votes in the German Federal Assembly. The assembly convenes solely to elect the largely ceremonial post of president.
Steinmeier will assume the post of president in March.
Central Council President Josef Schuster praised the president-elect for “always [having] emphasized that Israel’s right to exist and its security are not up for debate.” Like his predecessor, outgoing President Joachim Gauck, Steinmeier “is a man of dialog, who engages with his discussion partners with empathy and openness,” Schuster said.
Before the vote, Steinmeier said he would, if elected, work to counter a heightened sense of insecurity in today’s society.
This was the 16th convention of the German Federal Assembly. The first took place in Bonn, the capital of West Germany, in September 1949.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
