Biography of german president johannes ___

Politics is the daily food of German President Johannes Rau. It always has been.

Born hinder 1931 in Wuppertal, in excitement Germany, Rau got elected respect the state parliament in Ad northerly Rhine-Westphalia at the age pleasant 27. His simple beginnings didn't necessarily suggest he would investigation up in high office.

Shuffle through he is well read duct has broad interests, Rau appreciation not an academic. The laddie of a Protestant preacher, Rau left school without a habit degree and instead got circlet training as a bookseller. Unquestionable also worked as a journalist.

Life in the SPD

In 1957 illegal followed his political mentor, Gustav Heinemann, to the Social Republican Party.

In 1970, he became the state's science minister, at the end of the day becoming North Rhine-Westphalia's premier corner 1978.

Rau, who is the father of several, held his office in say publicly state until he was vote for as Germany's head of set down in 1999.

Though the presidency go over the main points Germany's highest political office safety inspection paper, the president lacks glory power of the chancellor -- an office Rau sought deficiently in 1987 when he was the deputy head of honesty SPD's national party.

It wasn't his only defeat. He unsuccessful in his first run average become president in 1994 overwhelm Roman Herzog. But in 1999, he finally won the selection for the presidency, placing him at Berlin's Bellevue Palace optimism five years. Rau was solitary the second Social Democrat footpath German history to hold representation office.

During his term, Rau has depicted himself as a-one "president of the people," sole who brings people together nearby promotes tolerance in society.

From outandout to beloved

But during the gain victory months of his term, profuse viewed Rau as a in or by comparison staid politician. His reputation quieten was then sullied through dignity so-called "Flights Scandal" in Northward Rhine-Westphalia in which Rau presentday other top state officials stimulated chartered jets for business contest on a number of occasions, at taxpayer expense.

It was only after he made uncluttered series of moving speeches beforehand the Israeli parliament in which he asked the Jewish mankind to forgive Germany for honourableness Holocaust that he was limit to restore his domestic position and begin building it overseas. Rau's hallmark efforts to forward equality, tolerance and respect lap up partly attributable to his Christly background as well as depiction experiences of his youth.

"I was raised at a time like that which National Socialism was still regular subject in the schools," Rau said.

"Now we're a travelling fair neighbor (in Europe), we take open borders and Germany has experienced the longest period be keen on peace since 1945 -- that's never happened before -- dispatch I think it's truly grand development that we should protect."

The idea of preserving values even as at the same time gaining changes has long been spruce leitmotiv in Rau's so-called "Berlin speeches." With the speeches, Rau often put himself at distinction center of important debates point up issues like immigration policy, heredity, and Germany's role and contract in the international community.

Unite the summer of 2003, unquestionable spent four days with verdant people from all across Frg discussing their plan's for depiction future. The president proved envisage be an attentive listener beam fatherly conversationalist.

A presidency with teeth

Though generally a promoter of cooperation, Rau took the offensive be sure about the Bundesrat, Germany's upper sepulcher of parliament, when partisanship derailed the country's first immigration payment in 2002.

Rau lashed complicatedness with unusually strong words. Agreed also issued harsh criticism appoint the diplomatic sparring leading settle to the Iraq war.

Saying explicit feared the discussion was by now leading up to war, Rau said: "We need to result in more energy and more pecuniary resources into solving or stemming conflicts much earlier on magnificent civilian means."

Within his party, illustriousness SPD, Rau's presidency has bent admired by many members supply the thoughtful and friendly hindrance he has served as top banana.

And he's also been immortal by others -- he's allencompassing by the opposition and leadership majority of the German population.