Elected by the Federal Convention
Köhler was the presidential candidate of the CDU, CSU and FDP. The Federal Convention elected him on 23 May 2004, and he was inaugurated on 1 July 2004.
Literature
Horst Köhler
German economist and politician who served as President of Germany from 2004 to 2010.
Horst Köhler was a German economist, civil servant and politician. Before becoming president, he led the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Monetary Fund. During his presidency, his approval ratings exceeded those of Chancellors Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel.
Worth knowing
Leadership roles in international finance
Köhler was president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development from 1998 to 2000, then headed the International Monetary Fund from 2000 to 2004.
A second term cut short
Köhler was reelected on 23 May 2009 but resigned on 31 May 2010 amid controversy over a comment about the role of the German Armed Forces following a visit to troops in Afghanistan.
UN development panel
From 2012 to 2013, Köhler served on the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
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