The incumbent

The success of Germany's president can be measured by the reputation he or she has managed to build with the general public. As such, Horst Koehler has achieved quite a bit. Two-thirds of Germans would like to see Koehler stay on. Koehler is at the same time the most popular politician in the country.

Chancellor Angela Merkel was pleased when Koehler announced he would stand for a second term.

"Over the past few years, he has won the hearts of the people in Germany with his open-minded approach and by speaking uncomfortable truths," she said.

Diligence and curiosity instead of vision

Koehler's often thinly veiled criticism of the political machinations in Berlin has boosted his standing with the general public. In contrast to his predecessors the economist was not a politician prior to his election. Koehler was the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and he still shies away from the goings-on in Berlin.

The 66-year-old, who has been in office since July 2004, does not excel through great vision or gripping speeches. He is not a particularly talented orator, which is a strong handicap, especially since the public looks to the president's speeches for guidance. Koehler compensates for this with diligence, tackling problems head on and his showing an honest curiosity in areas where many long-serving politicians only feign interest.

Africa vs New York investment banks

In his own country, Koehler's main concern has been improving youth education, especially for young migrants. Outside Germany, his efforts have focused on one of the challenges of globalization: the growing chasm between rich and poor.

Koehler has been particularly dedicated to Africa, which featured high on his travel list.

"For me, the fate of Africa will decide how humane our world really is," he said. "And we know today that it would have been less risky to build a train line right across Africa than invest in a distinguished New York investment bank."

Koehler has backed up his pledge to be an uncomfortable president. He twice refused to sign legislation that the governing coalition had passed and in several cases he questioned whether bills were constitutional, but ultimately left the decision to Germany's highest court.

Koehler's most important official act was to dissolve parliament in July 2005, following a request by then Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, the predecessor of Angela Merkel.

Schroeder, intent on snap elections, had consciously stage-managed his defeat in a no-confidence vote.

Nevertheless, Koehler gave the green light for snap elections, and the majority of Germans would have made the same decision.

Pushing for reform

With his constant drive for reform, Koehler emancipated himself from Chancellor Merkel and the Christian Democratic party, on whose ticket he had taken up office at Berlin's Bellevue Palace.

Occasionally he went too far by meddling in daily politics, which is considered unacceptable from a German president. On one occasion he criticized the governing coalition for extending the period under which unemployment pay could be claimed.

However, the "neoliberal" tag Koehler was stuck with due to his previous post with the IMF has started to wear off. In a speech he gave in March on the financial and economic crisis, he called for a strong state that would implement rules to control the market, seeing as unlimited freedom had proven destructive.

Koehler's doubts have been growing steadily as to whether economic growth is a panacea, solving problems and maintaining peace, and he is showing stronger inclination toward a New Green Deal.

Author: Bernd Graessler/Neil King
Editor: Nancy Isenson