In the wake of German President Christian Wulff's resignation, Joachim Gauck receives support from German politicians and citizens. Describing himself as a conservative liberal leftist, Gauck is a Lutheran pastor and civil rights activist. Growing up in East Germany after WWII, Gauck was inspired to work in politics after witnessing the harsh political treatment of his father by the Soviets. Gauck was denied this opportunity to study, and ended up going to school for theology. A critic of the East German regime and a "dissenter," Gauck frequently encouraged protests against East German government, and eventually became a representative in the East German legislature, serving until the German reunification in 1989. Afterwards, he served in the East German Secret Police, but has also been a popular candidate for president in every election since 1999. His politics have been criticized by some members of the Left Party, but other political parties in Germany respect Gauck. He has the highest ratings in public polls, and is supported by Angela Merkel's administration.
Although the highest controversy regarding Gauck is the fact that he is not currently active in politics at the moment, the German people do not seem to mind. This is promising news for Gauck. In my opinion, Gauck's record of civil rights activism showcases him as a man of the people, and his low political activity gives him a clean political slate for the presidency. Despite the confusion of the term "conservative liberal leftist," Gauck seems poised to team up with Angela Merkel and perpetuate Germany's strong role in the Eurozone.
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