BY NOAH BARKIN and MADELINE CHAMBERS Reuters Angela Merkel has dominated the German landscape for over half a decade, outmaneuvering and outshining would-be rivals to become the most popular political figure in the country. After the election of Joachim Gauck to the post of president, however, the German chancellor may find herself sharing the spotlight with a man whose popularity rivals her own and whose willingness to speak his mind could make her life a little less comfortable. Gauck, a 72-year old Lutheran pastor who was active in the peaceful protest movement that helped bring about the fall of the Berlin Wall, poses no real threat to Merkel and her seemingly iron grasp on power in Berlin. But his strong opinions and political independence stand in strong contrast to his predecessor Christian Wulff, whom Merkel hand-picked for the presidency in 2010 only to see him resign in disgrace last month in a scandal over financial favors. Gauck's strengths — an easy charisma, a knack for moving people with his rhetoric, and a record of anti-government activism in the East — also happen to be weaknesses of Merkel. These factors may partly explain why she resisted his candidacy so fiercely before her coalition partner, the Free Democrats, broke ranks and threw their weight behind Gauck, forcing her into a reversal and setting the stage for him to be confirmed in the post on Sunday. “I think Gauck will be uncomfortable for Merkel because he is not a member of a party and will not feel bound by any party obligations,” said Norbert Robers, a biographer of Gauck who has known him for 20 years. “This independence and the freedom it gives can be unpleasant for politicians.” By all accounts Merkel and Gauck have a good personal relationship. She gave a heartfelt address at his 70th birthday party two years ago and he spoke at the launch of her biography back in 2005. As president, Gauck is expected to push his signature theme of “freedom”, a topic Merkel often seems uncomfortable with despite her eastern roots. “Gauck is someone who can touch people with a speech in a way Merkel can't,” said Gerd Langguth, a political scientist at Bonn University and biographer of Merkel. “He is a joyful protestant, she is a dutiful protestant.” Although German presidents have largely ceremonial functions, they are looked upon to act as a moral compass for the nation and can influence the political debate with words. Former president Richard von Weizsaecker, for example, is remembered for describing the end of World War Two as a “day of liberation” from Nazi dictatorship for Germany in a speech to parliament on May 8, 1985. Gauck's readiness to speak his mind on controversial issues, a trait Merkel is not known for, is one reason for his popularity. In recent years it has also gotten him into trouble and people who know him say he will have to change his approach as president, when he will have the ear of 82 million Germans. __
