German President Horst Koehler Resigns

German President, Horst Koehler, announced his decision to resign over controversial remarks that stirred strong criticism from the country's political elite. Photo by BGNES

German President, Horst Koehler, announced Monday his surprising decision to resign after only one year in his second term.

Koehler, 67, explains his decision with criticism from a number of German politicians of his remarks about German military missions abroad, linking them with business interests. He made the controversial remarks in a radio interview after a recent visit to Afghanistan.

The German President, whose functions are largely ceremonial, said that for an export-orientated country like Germany, it was sometimes necessary to deploy troops "to protect our interests... for example free trade routes".

"It was an honor for me to serve Germany as President," Koehler said when announcing his decision to resign.

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