GermanPresidentKoehler
BornonFebruary22,1943inSkelbeszowduringtheGerman-occupiedPolandperiod,herankedseventhamongtheeightsiblings.InJanuary1945,hereturnedtoGermanywithhisfamilytoescapetheSovietRedArmy,stayinginLeipzigfirst,andfledtoWestGermanyviaWestBerlinin1953.In1965,heenteredtheUniversityofTübingentostudyeconomicsandpoliticalscience,andreceivedadoctorateineconomicsin1977.HewasthePresidentoftheEuropeanBankforReconstructionandDevelopmentandthePresidentandChairmanoftheExecutiveBoardoftheInternationalMonetaryFund.
Atthebeginningof2004,KoehlergaveuphispostaspresidentoftheInternationalMonetaryFundandannouncedhiswillingnesstorunfortheFederalPresidentonbehalfoftheCoalitionParty.AttheFederalAssemblyheldonMay23ofthesameyear,Koehlervotedinthethirdroundofvoting.,DefeatedthefemalecandidateoftheSocialDemocraticPartyandpoliticalscholarGesinaSchwanwithanarrowvoteandbecamethe9thFederalPresidentoftheFederalRepublicofGermany.
Asthevacantheadofstate,thePresidentofGermanyneedstotranscendpartyaffiliation,focusontheoverallsituation,representthedignityofthecountryinetiquette,careforthepeople’slivelihoodmorally,anddisagreeaboutopinionsorinterestsinpoliticallife.Byexercisingthenecessaryandprudentpowerofarbitration,Koehlerfaithfullyperformedhisdutiesaspresident.
In2007,KoehlerpubliclycriticizedthehighsalariesofGermancorporateexecutives.Inthesummerandautumnof2008,theglobalfinancialcrisisbrokeoutandspread.Asawell-knownexpertandformerexpertinthefinancialfieldAseniormanager,Koehlerhasrepeatedlycriticizedtheinternationalfinancialgiantsforbeingtooprofitable,andthefinancialindustry'sregulatorysystemistoolaxandlaissez-faire.
OnMay23,2009,inthefirstroundofvotingatthe13thFederalAssembly,Koehleronceagaindefeatedthesamechallenger,Ms.Schwan,andwasre-electedasFederalPresident.
Personalexperience
KoehlerwasbornonFebruary22,1943,andreceivedamaster'sdegreeineconomicsandadoctorateinpoliticalsciencefromtheUniversityofTübingeninGermany.KoehlerservedasStateSecretaryoftheFederalMinistryofFinancein1990andChairmanoftheAssociationofGermanSavingsBanksin1993.In1998,KoehlerservedasPresidentoftheEuropeanBankforReconstructionandDevelopment.InMarch2000,heservedastheeighthPresidentandChairmanoftheExecutiveBoardoftheInternationalMonetaryFund.InJuly2004,Koehlerbecametheninthpost-warGermanpresidentandwasre-electedin2009.
KoehlerattachesgreatimportancetorelationswithChina.DuringhistenureasthePresidentoftheInternationalMonetaryFund,hevisitedChina4timesin2000,2001,2002and2003.Afterassumingoffice,KoehlerpaidastatevisittomycountryinMay2007andcametoChinainSeptember2008toattendtheopeningceremonyoftheBeijingParalympicGames.
Koehlerismarried,hiswifeEvaLouiseKoehlerisateacher,theyhaveasonandadaughter.
AttheinvitationofPresidentHuJintao,HorstKoehler,PresidentoftheFederalRepublicofGermany,willpayastatevisittoChinafromMay17to21.
Koehler’sresume
InJanuary1945,hereturnedtoGermanywithhisfamilytoescapetheSovietRedArmy,stayinginLeipzigfirst
EscapetothewestviaWestBerlinin1953Germany,settledinLudwigsburg
EnteredtheUniversityofTübingenin1965tostudyeconomicsandpoliticalscience
AppliedinTübingeninsouthwestGermanyin1968TheEconomicResearchInstituteservedasthedrafterofthereport.
LeavingtheInstitutein1976andenteringtheGermanMinistryofEconomicAffairs
GotaPhDinEconomicsin1977
JoinedNorthernGermanyin1981TheadministrativeteamoftheChancelloroftheSchleswig-Holsteinstategovernment
InOctober1982,whenKohlwastheGermanFederalChancellor,heservedastheDirectoroftheOfficeoftheMinisterofFinanceintheMinistryofFinance
1990From1993to1993,heservedasDeputyMinisterofFinanceofGermany.
From1993to1998,heservedasthechairmanoftheAssociationofGermanSavingsBanks.
InSeptember1998,hewasappointedPresidentoftheEuropeanBankforReconstructionandDevelopment.
InMay2000,hewasappointedPresidentandChairmanoftheExecutiveBoardoftheInternationalMonetaryFund.
OnMarch4,2004,hewasnominatedasacandidatefortheFederalPresidentofGermanyandresignedfromthepostofPresidentoftheInternationalMonetaryFund.
InMay2004,hewaselectedasthepost-warFederalRepublicofGermanyTheninthfederalpresidenttookofficeonJuly1.
OnMay31,2010,hewascriticizedforremarksabouttheoverseasmilitarypolicyandresignedaspresident.