German President Resigns Amid Scandal

Christian Wulff, president of Germany, abruptly quit his post in the midst of an escalating financial scandal, complicating the job of Chancellor Angela Merkel in negotiations over the eurozone debt crisis. Wulff may face charges of corruption as investigators seek to eliminate the immunity conferred by his office to probe allegations of corruption.

Bloomberg reported that Merkel must now seek an acceptable successor to Wulff, the second president to step down in less than two years, even as she is involved in discussions over Greece and its attempts to impose new austerity measures. Even though the position is mainly ceremonial, the fact that Wulff is from Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party, and that resigned amid her own waning popularity with voters over the debt crisis, is regarded as a major setback for her.

Wulff has been in office less than a year. He became president in a special election held last June 30 and replaced Horst Koehler, who unexpectedly resigned in May 2010.