„First Lady" Bettina Wulff and the German President Christian Wulff in their days of glory. A bit like royalty, a bit of Hollywood, a bit of Kennedy. In the meantime, the statesman's glory has burned out. But luckily for the ex-President: he gets to keep the money.
Foto: bpa
Berlin/Hannover (mea) How does one become a millionaire? Or even better: how does become a multi-millionaire? This is a question which millions around the world have asked already. Masters in this matter are Germany's ex-President Christian Wulff and his second wife Bettina. They are on the way to become multi-millionaires, after having been forced in 2012 to resign from the office of the country's head of state. And all this not due to work, but simply for doing nothing.
The leading German magazine BILD in Berlin has in the beginning courageously uncovered the questionable conduct of the German President Wulff. This started a fierce criticism in the media, which lasted for months against this politician, who came to be appointed to his office on the express wishes of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In the meantime, in the summer of 2012 the public outrage has simmered down. The BILD magazine has become tamer, and does not handle this ‚hot iron' any more. The ex-Presidential couple can now laugh about the past uproar and criticism, since now they are both wealthy for the rest of their lives. Why?
This is how it adds up: Wulff had on July 19, 2012 his 53rd birthday. After his resignation, he gets an annual pension of some 200,000 euro. He does not give this up, in spite of demands from the public. In reality, the former German President gets other, even higher income. When one adds up the costs of his official office in the capital city of Berlin, plus his official car and a driver, office staff and the security service personnel, it comes, according to sources in the media, to another 300,000 euro. So, the former German President ‚costs' the German taxpayers some 500,000 euro per year.
How nice: lifelong no money worries
Wulff was apparently already a millionaire, when he first moved into the Presidential palace Bellevue. His annual income during his great political career up to the Prime Minister of Niedersachsen can explain such theoretical ‚saving'. But the real big cash downpour came about through his post as President.
Today, at the age of 53 years, Christian Wulff can expect a very, very long life! On his 93rd birthday he would be able to look back on 40 years of receiving the annual honorary pension. Up to this point, Wolff would have cost the German taxpayer some 20 million euro (40 years times 500,000 euro). With this permanent annual income, he will have lifelong no money worries. And he has nothing to do for this money. So to speak, he can go for a walk.
And one more thing: the former Presidents continue to enjoy many privileges in society. In Germany it is the same as in the United States: once a President, in the reality of social life, it means ‚always a President'.
Continues as a friend of Muslims
Although the governing politicians in Germany and parts of the ‚fine society' show distance from Wulff, the controversial President continues to have good contacts to Muslim circles, and above all to Turkish immigrants. The media report about a recent visit of a leading politician from Turkey to the former President Wulff in his presidential office in Berlin. As one can learn from comments on various web sites, the majority of Germans are against politicians being ‚too friendly' toward the Muslim world. According to the opinion of the critics, Muslims, mosques and Islamic culture „do not belong to Germany', which is immersed in the Christian and Western culture.
Pope Benedict XVI. on a visit to Germany with the former German President Christian Wulff and his second wife Bettina. In Konrad Adenauer's times, it would not had been possible that the Pope would receive a divorced Catholic President with his new wife. This shows the decay of the traditions in Germany. A diplomat of the curia commented: Yes, yes: the Holy Father must suffer through much.
Foto handout-bpa
A look back on the sad end of a President
After the resignation of the German President Horst Köhler on May 31, 2010, Wulff was presented on June 3, 2010 as the candidate by the ruling coalition CDU/CSU and the FDP. At the elections of the German President at the 14th session of the Parliament on June 30, 2010 in Berlin, Wulff ran against Joachim Gauck (candidate of the SPD and the Greens). Wulff won with 625 votes, against 494 votes for Joachim Gauck.
After only 597 days in office, Wulff resigned on February 17, 2012 due to impeachment proceedings against the President. This occured in connection with planned accusations of prefferential dealings as well as the use of public pressure.
During the ‚farewell' to the departing President, several unpleasant things happened. On March 8, 2012 Wulff took his departure from office during the great trumpet call by the German Army in Berlin. The German Chancellor and some members of the government took part in the ceremony. On the other hand, the other surviving former German Presidents stayed away: Horst Köhler, Roman Herzog, Richard von Weizsäcker and Walter Scheel. During the honor ceremony, there were protests outside by citizens.
Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The journal PROMETHEUS will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article.
www.meaus.com contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of "fair use" in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than "fair use" you must request permission from the copyright owner.
For media enquiries: info@meaus.com
Copyright 2012 Prometheus
PROMETHEUS, Internet Bulletin for Art, News, Politics and Science, Nr. 179, July 2012