Party leaders had selected him for federal president, a largely ceremonial and representative position whose holder acts as a moral compass for society.
In the acceptance speech in Berlin, Steinmeier, who belongs to the Social Democrats (SPD), said he would work to create a feeling of optimistic confidence in a “crisis-ridden world.”
He added that he wanted to use the position to bridge divisions in German society.
“A president cannot make the world simpler than it is,” the 60-year-old, approaching the end of his second stint as foreign minister, said.
“He must be someone who instills confidence.”
German coalition officially presents Steinmeier as candidate for president
17 November 2016
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Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Wednesday was officially presented as presidential candidate by the German coalition government, Deutsche Welle reports.
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