Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a 61-year-old Germany ex-foreign minister has been elected to be the new president of the country. Steinmeier (a Social Democrat) was elected in Berlin by the assembly made up of the 630 members of parliament’s lower house and he received 931 of the 1,260 votes. He is to succeed the outgoing president Joachim Gauck (77 years) who refused to seek for a second five-year term because of his age. Steinmeier served twice as the country’s foreign minister (from 2005 to 2009 and from 2013 to 2017) under Angela Merkel. Some years back, Steinmeier donated one of his kidneys to his wife Elke Buedenbender (a judge). The office of the president in Germany has little executive power, but with important moral authority and symbol of the country as it host for visiting dignitaries. Congratulations to Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Source: Viewers Corner News.