BERLIN (Reuters) – Angela Merkel’s hand-picked choice for the ceremonial post of president resigned on Friday in a scandal over political favors, dealing a blow to the German chancellor in the midst of the euro zone debt crisis.

In a curt five-minute statement at the Bellevue presidential palace, Christian Wulff acknowledged that he had lost the trust of the German people, making it impossible to continue in a role that is meant to serve as a moral compass for the nation.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Angela Merkel has come under fire in Europe for failing to provide leadership in the euro zone crisis, but at home she is now riding a tidal wave of popularity that would make her fellow leaders envious.

Merkel always thinks backwards from the next election, a close adviser once said, adjusting policy carefully — sometimes years in advance — to put herself in the strongest possible position for eventual victory.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Angela Merkel has come under fire in Europe for failing to provide leadership in the euro zone crisis, but at home she is now riding a tidal wave of popularity that would make her fellow leaders envious.

Merkel always thinks backwards from the next election, a close adviser once said, adjusting policy carefully — sometimes years in advance — to put herself in the strongest possible position for eventual victory.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany is pushing for Greece to relinquish control over its budget policy to European institutions as part of discussions over a second rescue package, a European source told Reuters on Friday.

“There are internal discussions within the Euro group and proposals, one of which comes from Germany, on how to constructively treat country aid programs that are continuously off track, whether this can simply be ignored or whether we say that’s enough,” the source said.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany is pushing for Greece to relinquish control over its budget policy to European institutions as part of discussions over a second rescue package, a European source told Reuters on Friday.

“There are internal discussions within the Euro group and proposals, one of which comes from Germany, on how to constructively treat country aid programs that are continuously off track, whether this can simply be ignored or whether we say that’s enough,” the source said.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany is pushing for Greece to relinquish control over its budget policy to European institutions as part of discussions over a second rescue package, a European source told Reuters on Friday.

“There are internal discussions within the Euro group and proposals, one of which comes from Germany, on how to constructively treat country aid programmes that are continuously off track, whether this can simply be ignored or whether we say that’s enough,” the source said.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany is pushing for Greece to relinquish control over its budget policy to European institutions as part of discussions over a second rescue package, a European source told Reuters on Friday.

“There are internal discussions within the Euro group and proposals, one of which comes from Germany, on how to constructively treat country aid programmes that are continuously off track, whether this can simply be ignored or whether we say that’s enough,” the source said.

BRUSSELS/BERLIN, Jan 24 (Reuters) – Angela Merkel’s
conservative allies warned on Tuesday against committing
additional German funds to euro zone bailout schemes,
underscoring how difficult it will be for the chancellor to meet
international demands to boost the bloc’s defences.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde and
Italian premier Mario Monti have both travelled to Berlin to
urge Merkel to increase the euro zone’s firewall by either
boosting the 500 billion-euro European Stability Mechanism (ESM)
or allowing it to run concurrently with the existing bailout
fund it is due to replace at mid-year.

BERLIN (Reuters) – The head of the IMF called on European governments to boost the size of their rescue fund and consider financial risk-sharing steps like common euro zone bonds as a way out of their sovereign debt crisis.

In a speech at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin on Monday, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the world economy faced a “defining moment” that required quick, collective action.