Why the German president stepping down next year is a big deal

THE German parliament’s annual Spargelfahrt, or asparagus trip, is a cheerful harbinger of the summer recess. The excursion on June 7th organised by a group of Social Democratic MPs ferried 650 guests around the Wannsee, one of Berlin’s prettiest lakes, while eating more than 400kg (880lbs) of white asparagus. Even Sigmar Gabriel, the deputy chancellor and leader of the ailing Social Democratic Party (SPD), was in a fine mood. “Nobody leaves this ship,” he jokingly exhorted his colleagues. “There’s even room for people who still want to join us” (i.e. not very many).

Mr Gabriel’s spirits seemed buoyed by the previous day’s announcement that Joachim Gauck would not seek a second five-year presidential term in February 2017. The president has a largely ceremonial role, and is elected not by popular vote but by a federal convention made up of the Bundestag plus representatives from the legislatures of Germany’s states. But the race for the office is a significant political test. In picking their candidates, party leaders reveal their preferences for government, shaping voters’ views in the run-up to the general election later in the year. As chancellor, Angela Merkel, the head of the Christian Democratic Party, has the most to lose.