Federal President: Second term for Steinmeier – politics

Frank-Walter Steinmeier was re-elected as Federal President in the first ballot and thus has a second five-year term ahead of him. He received 1,045 of the 1,437 votes cast in the Federal Assembly on Sunday. This was announced by Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD).

In his speech after the re-election, Steinmeier clearly assigned responsibility for the escalation in the Ukraine conflict to Vladimir Putin. He addressed the words of the Russian President: “Don’t underestimate the power of democracy!” At the same time, the head of state invited the head of the Kremlin to be part of a European peace community. Another major topic was social cohesion in times of the pandemic. “Anyone who fights for democracy will have me on their side. Anyone who attacks it will have me as their opponent,” said Steinmeier. He will consciously spend his first day as old and new Federal President in East Germany.

Steinmeier turned directly to his defeated opponent, Gerhard Trabert. The social medicine doctor from Mainz was nominated by the left and wanted to draw attention to the poorest in Germany with his candidacy. Steinmeier offered him cooperation in the fight against homelessness. “With your candidacy, you have drawn attention to an issue that deserves more attention: the situation of the poorest and most vulnerable in our country,” said the Federal President. “For that, Mr. Trabert, you not only deserve respect, but I hope that your impulse will be maintained.”

A total of three opponents competed. The astrophysicist and local politician Stefanie Gebauer, sent into the race by the Free Voters, received 58 votes. Trabert got 96 votes in the first ballot. The economist Max Otte, a member of the CDU but set up by the AfD, received 140 votes. Steinmeier, who has been Federal President since 2017, was supported by the traffic light parties SPD, Greens and FDP as well as by the CDU/CSU opposition. His three opponents were considered in advance as having no chance.

The corona virus had presented the Federal Assembly with major challenges, as Bas emphasized in her welcome speech. For the first time, the head of state was elected during a pandemic. Bas complained that this had led to a polarization of the population, in which people seemed to be irreconcilable. Much that connects is threatened to be lost, which is why courage, confidence and a respectful tone when dealing with those who think differently are now so important. “The majority is not automatically right – but neither is the minority,” said Bas. Everyone should now approach each other.

Many followers because of Corona

Because of the pandemic, sufficient distance had to be ensured during the election. In addition, the Federal Assembly was larger than ever. The 1,472 electors could therefore not come together in the plenary hall of the Bundestag as usual, but were distributed over five floors next door in the Paul-Löbe-Haus. Many electors could only follow the vote on the screen.

The Federal Assembly is made up of the members of the Bundestag – in this legislative period there are a total of 736 – and an equal number of representatives from the federal states, who were nominated by the state parliaments according to their composition. Among them were many celebrities and citizens who were particularly committed to civil society – this time, for example, nurses or flood workers. Other members of the 17th Federal Assembly included ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel, Biontech founder Özlem Türeci, virologist Christian Drosten, national coach Hansi Flick, astronaut Alexander Gerst, cabaret artist Dieter Nuhr, actresses Fritzi Haberlandt and Sibel Kekilli and Olympic swimming champion Britta Steffen.

There were also 73 so-called followers among the voters on Sunday. The fact that a number of delegates had to cancel their participation also has to do with the corona pandemic. In order to prevent the election of the Federal President from becoming a hotspot, all delegates had to present a negative current test result. A test center was specially set up in front of the Reichstag building.

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