President Horst Köhler unexpectedly announced his resignation with immediate effect, citing public criticism of remarks he made about Germany's military mission in Afghanistan.
Mr Köhler, a former director general of the International Monetary Fund, suggested in a May 22nd interview with Germany's Deutschlandradio that German military involvement is also necessary to protect the country's economic interests.
Announcing his resignation in Berlin today, he told reporters that the criticism "lacks any foundation" and "undermines the necessary respect for my office."
While Mr Köhler’s role as head of state is mainly ceremonial, his decision to quit leaves a constitutional gap that may pose problems for Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Mr Köhler, a former member of Ms Merkel's Christian Democrats who resigned his party membership to run for office, signs bills into law after they clear both houses of parliament.
"He's apparently got a very thin skin," Hugo Mueller-Vogg, who published a Koehler biography in 2005, said on N24 television. "He really thought he could change something in this country. But then he realided that his office is mainly ceremonial."
Mr Köhler, in the radio interview, said an export-oriented country like Germany "must also understand that in certain cases, in an emergency, military operations are necessary to protect our interests."
He cited as examples maintaining free trade routes and settling regional instability that could have a "negative" impact on Germany's "trade, jobs and income".
Agencies