German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be re-elected today for a second term after earning a reputation as a tireless advocate of democratic values at a time when the resurgence of far-right extremism and the coronavirus pandemic have put them to the test in Germany.
The 66-year-old Social Democrat was twice foreign minister in Angela Merkel's government.
The election of the president this year will not take place as usual in the Bundestag but at the Paul Loebe Haus, an office complex opposite the Chancellery in central Berlin, due to social distancing needs.
It will be voted by the Federal Assembly, made up of parliamentarians plus Lander delegates, for a total of 1,500 voters.
