Germany

Christian Wulff Wins Presidency

Weak victory shows Merkel's waning influence.

Prime Minister Angela Merkel’s favored candidate, Christian Wulff, won the German presidency Wednesday in a close election that proved the once-dominant PM may be losing her popularity. Wulff nearly lost the support of his center-right party, the Christian Democrats, who rebelled against the party whip—a sign of serious displeasure in the party in Germany. The election, which occurs among party leaders in the Reichstag, also unfolded live on a huge television screen for hundreds of onlookers outside. Merkel’s government—elected in September—has been besieged with problems since the outset, and the party dissent in the presidential elections could prove to be further damaging.