BERLIN (MNI) – Germany’s Federal President Christian Wulff said
Thursday he will consider the request of the Bundesbank to dismiss its
board member Thilo Sarrazin over his anti-immigrant remarks.
Under German law, the Bundesbank board cannot autonomously remove
members; only the Federal President has this power.
“After having received the request by the board of the German
Bundesbank to dismiss Dr. Thilo Sarrazin as a member of the board, the
Federal President will consider it,” Wulff said in a press statement. He
said he would not comment further on the matter until he had made a
decision and gave no time frame when that would be.
The Bundesbank said earlier today that it had agreed “unanimously”
to petition the Federal President for the dismissal of Sarrazin.
Since joining the bank’s board just over 18 months ago, Sarrazin
has inflamed public opinion by remarks thought to be offensive to
various minority groups. He recently drew widespread criticism for
saying that “all Jews share a certain gene.”
Wulff seemed to suggest on Wednesday that he would honor a request
of the Bundesbank board to have Sarrazin ousted.
“I believe that now the executive board of the German Bundesbank
already can do something so that the discussion [about Sarrazin] does
not damage Germany, first and foremost also internationally,” he told
Germany’s N24 news channel.
In the history of the Bundesbank, no board member has ever been
dismissed, although its previous president, Ernst Welteke, was forced to
resign amidst a scandal in 2004.
–Berlin bureau: +49-30-22 62 05 80; email: twidder@marketnews.com
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