Joachim
Gauck, a former East German pro-democracy activist and Lutheran pastor, being
congratulated after he was elected as Germany's new President on 18 March 2011
A
Lutheran pastor will become Germany's new president after receiving
overwhelming approval from German members of parliament voting on the
appointment.
Joachim
Gauck, 72, is not affiliated to any political party in Germany, but has become
increasingly popular politically after regularly speaking eloquently on hot
button topics that many others shied away from.
Critics,
however, say that she is only supporting Gauck now due to pressure from the
liberal Free Democrats. Merkel, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor herself,
needs the Free Democrats on side for the German government coalition to be able
to function efficiently. Many believe that Merkel fears Gauck could be too
outspoken on sensitive issues.
Gauck
is also the son of a pastor, and grew up in the old East Germany prior to the
fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He actually was forced to choose theology as
his studies after other university courses were denied to him because his
father had been deported to Siberia for his role in civil rights activism in
the country, according to the BBC.
Gauck,
who had a keen interest in politics, became known for holding services to
precede protests against the German communist regime.
His
activist works led to him being invited to head a body established to
investigate the activities of the Stasi, the East German secret police,
following the fall of the Berlin Wall. He took up the role and went on to
garner praise for exposing various crimes committed during the Communist
regime.
The
president in waiting has described himself as a "liberal left
conservative," but has worked politically on a non-partisan basis.
Gauck
has four children, but is separated from his wife, and has lived for the past
12 years with a new partner; journalist Daniela Schadt.
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