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Köhler eyes second term as president

Federal President Horst Köhler will run for a second term, according to reports in the Saturday edition of Bild. He already has a broad base of support from the parties, and the approval of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Published: 12 April 2008 09:54 CEST

Köhler eyes second term as president

Photo: DPA

In his regular meetings with party leaders in recent weeks, Köhler has been assured of widespread support for his candidacy, Bild reported on Saturday, citing government and party insiders.

Köhler himself said that he would only seek a second term if he had support from across the political spectrum. Merkel, who heads the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Guido Westerwelle, head of the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) already gave Köhler the nod before Easter.

Even the Social Democrats, who supported their own candidate, Gesine Schwan, in the 2004 presidential election, have recently signalled their willingness to keep Köhler in office.

If he is indeed confirmed in office in May 2009, the majority of Germans should be pleased. According to polls, around 75 percent of Germans would welcome the prospect of another five years of Köhler as their largely symbolic head of state.

Köhler has not yet officially confirmed his candidacy – the former head of the International Monetary Fund said he would only do so about a year in advance of the election date of May 23, 2009.

Germany's Scholz rejects calls for later retirement in Labour Day message

“For me, it is a question of decency not to deny those who have worked for a long time the retirement they deserve,” said Scholz.

Employees in Germany worked more hours in 2023 than ever before: “That’s why it annoys me when some people talk disparagingly about ‘Germany’s theme park’ – or when people call for raising the retirement age,” he said.

Scholz also warned of creating uncertainty due to new debates about the retirement age. “Younger people who are just starting out in their working lives also have the right to know how long they have to work,” he said.

Scholz did not explicitly say who the criticism was targeted at, but at its party conference last weekend, the coalition partner FDP called for the abolition of pensions at 63 for those with long-term insurance, angering its government partners SPD and the Greens.

Scholz saw the introduction of the minimum wage nine years ago – and its increase to twelve euros per hour by his government – as a “great success”. “The proportion of poorly paid jobs in our country has shrunk as a result,” he said.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Is it worthwhile to set up a private pension plan in Germany?

However, he said there were still too many people “who work hard for too little money,” highlighting the additional support available through housing benefit, child allowance and the reduction of social security contributions for low earners.

“Good collective wage agreements also ensure that many employees finally have more money in their pockets again,” he added.

And he said that the country wouldn’t “run out of work” in the coming years.

“On the contrary! We need more workers,” he said, explaining that that’s why his government is ensuring “that those who fled to us from Russia’s war in Ukraine get work more quickly.”

Work means “more than making money,” said Scholz. “Work also means: belonging, having colleagues, experiencing recognition and appreciation.”

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