Monday, March 19, 2012

About The New German President


 Recent history told us that Germany always play a major role in world politics. Yesterday German lawmakers had elected its new president by the person of Joachim Gauck, a former pastor. We don't have many clergy man taking political office in modern times, some had tried elections but failed to gather winning votes.   We do have The Papacy of course, who both act as king and priest. Anyway, having a Christian pastor can do a lot of shifts. 

   BERLIN, March 18 (Reuters) - Germans resoundingly elected Joachim Gauck, a former Lutheran pastor and human rights activist from communist East Germany, as president of the European Union's largest country on Sunday, posing a potential headache for Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In the largely ceremonial office of president, Gauck presents no threat to Merkel's domination of national politics. But his moral authority, independence of mind and lack of party affiliation could make him an awkward partner for her government as it struggles to overcome Europe's economic crisis.Gauck, 72, won 991 votes in the federal assembly comprising members of parliament and regional delegates. His main rival, veteran anti-Nazi campaigner Beate Klarsfeld, got 126 votes. (Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com)

  Why I have to look more deeper on this shift about global politics was a mentioned above that Germany is a major player, even took center stage for quite sometime...and Gauck religious background can poise more harm than good. How I wish we truly have sincere Christian leaders taking major role in shaping our world but that of course was without the detour of dirty politics. The system can swallow whole doctrines and dogmas. 

   Let me take the name first which struck me. Joachim  Yəhôyāqîm means in Hebrew as "he whom YHWH has set up"...famous Joachim of the Bible is the husband of Anne, and the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus. 
   Well, name is just name, or could this be a vantage point to where we can at least see what direction his government is going? 
   It is like throwing a sheep insides the den of wolves when we reflect deeper how dirty the political bureaucracy. I remember when I was rallying for the election of Bro. Eddie Villanueva last Philippine's presidential elections of two years ago. I knew his slim chance but we tried. I even go on to defend why he should be president...again, political name is in the blood...people vote for the name brand and not on actual capabilities.
   I always thought, Noynoy as unfit for president. Sorry to our dear president, I am just stressing some point here which I think will be very vital for not so distant course of our planet. Actually, I also saw the problem if ever Bro. Eddie won that last election. He will suffer the same fate as that of Joseph Estrada, he will create enemy from within that he was not even aware. 

      Why I have to watch this current event with Germany? 
   Germany is very influential...it is one of the fastest and most steady economic power among the EU countries. Catholics also have a German Pope right now. 
    Germany now have both its presidency and chancellery in the hands of former Communist East. 
   
Few East German executives
Today, in Ms. Merkel’s 15-member cabinet, there is still not a single minister from East Germany. This situation is mirrored in wider society: In 2010, East Germans inhabited only 9 percent of top business positions, according to a study by the German Institute for Economic Research in Berlin. None of the top 30 German companies traded at the Frankfurt stock exchange are run by an East German, neither are any of the big national media organizations.
Against this backdrop, Der Spiegel magazine hailed Gauck’s election as “A revolution.” The influential weekly Die Zeit writes, “We have reached the goal – future generations will look back at this event as the moment German integration was completed."
Merkel and Gauck seem to have a lot in common. Neither of them is a career politician: Merkel is a scientist by profession, Gauck was a Protestant pastor. Both were critical of the East German regime, but did not join anti-government protests until very late. Both were members of the last – and only democratically elected – East German parliament in 1990. Merkel went on to rise quickly in the Christian Democratic Union party, while independent Gauck became the first federal commissioner for the Stasi records, heading the agency that deals with the files of the former East German secret service.  Source: CSMonitor
   I cannot go further discussing this issue at this point, it is enough for now that I made my self aware. 





2 comments:

Rimly said...

This is an eye opener Fher. I do not follow politics much but Germany has bad history with a fanatic like Hitler almost tearing the world apart. Let us hope this new president does not turn out to be one, rigid and fanatical.

http://rimlybezbaruah.blogspot.in/2012/03/aftermath.html

Fhermission said...

Oh yes Rimly...we don't want a repeat of Holocaust.
Thanks for your thought on this.