Koehler_NP1 re-elected_VVD as_RG German_JJ president_NN1 German_NN1 President_NNB Horst_NP1 Koehler_NP1 won_VVD a_AT1 second_MD five-year_JJ term_NN1 Saturday_NPD1 ,_, a_AT1 victory_NN1 that_CST gave_VVD a_AT1 symbolic_JJ boost_NN1 to_II Chancellor_NNB Angela_NP1 Merkel_NP1 's_GE hopes_NN2 of_IO forming_VVG a_AT1 center-right_JJ government_NN1 after_II a_AT1 national_JJ election_NN1 this_DD1 September_NPM1 ._. 
BERLIN_NP1 --_JJ German_NN1 President_NNB Horst_NP1 Koehler_NP1 won_VVD a_AT1 second_MD five-year_JJ term_NN1 Saturday_NPD1 ,_, a_AT1 victory_NN1 that_CST gave_VVD a_AT1 symbolic_JJ boost_NN1 to_II Chancellor_NNB Angela_NP1 Merkel_NP1 's_GE hopes_NN2 of_IO forming_VVG a_AT1 center-right_JJ government_NN1 after_II a_AT1 national_JJ election_NN1 this_DD1 September_NPM1 ._. 
Koehler_NN1 ,_, a_AT1 former_DA International_JJ Monetary_JJ Fund_NN1 head_NN1 and_CC a_AT1 member_NN1 of_IO Merkel_NP1 's_GE conservative_JJ Christian_JJ Democrats_NN2 ,_, secured_VVD the_AT required_JJ majority_NN1 by_II a_AT1 single_JJ vote_NN1 in_II the_AT first_MD round_NN1 of_IO voting_VVG by_II a_AT1 special_JJ parliamentary_JJ assembly_NN1 ._. 
That_DD1 was_VBDZ enough_DD to_TO see_VVI off_RP a_AT1 challenge_NN1 from_II center-left_NN1 Social_JJ Democrat_NN1 Gesine_NP1 Schwan_NP1 ,_, who_PNQS was_VBDZ bidding_VVG to_TO become_VVI Germany_NP1 's_GE first_MD female_JJ president_NN1 --_NN1 a_AT1 largely_RR ceremonial_JJ job_NN1 ._. 
Merkel_NP1 said_VVD she_PPHS1 was_VBDZ "_" very_RG glad_JJ "_" about_II Koehler_NP1 's_GE swift_JJ victory_NN1 ._. 
"_" We_PPIS2 think_VV0 he_PPHS1 is_VBZ the_AT president_NN1 Germany_NP1 needs_VVZ in_II this_DD1 situation_NN1 ,_, "_" she_PPHS1 added_VVD ._. 
The_AT popular_JJ 66_MC year_NNT1 old_JJ won_VVD 613_MC votes_NN2 in_II the_AT 1,224-member_FO parliamentary_JJ assembly_NN1 ,_, made_VVD up_RP of_IO lower-house_JJ lawmakers_NN2 and_CC delegates_NN2 nominated_VVN by_II state_NN1 legislatures_NN2 ._. 
Schwan_NN1 ,_, who_PNQS had_VHD hoped_VVN to_TO force_VVI further_JJR rounds_NN2 of_IO voting_NN1 ,_, won_VVD 503_MC ._. 
The_AT presidency_NN1 is_VBZ supposed_JJ to_TO be_VBI above_II the_AT political_JJ fray_NN1 and_CC carries_VVZ little_DA1 real_JJ power_NN1 ,_, but_CCB Schwan_NP1 's_GE challenge_NN1 shook_VVD up_RP the_AT usually_RR genteel_JJ election_NN1 process_NN1 and_CC raised_JJ doubt_NN1 over_II Koehler_NP1 's_GE re-election_NN1 ._. 
The_AT vote_NN1 came_VVD before_II Merkel_NP1 and_CC Social_JJ Democrat_NN1 Frank-Walter_NP1 Steinmeier_NP1 ,_, her_APPGE foreign_JJ minister_NN1 ,_, face_VV0 off_RP in_II a_AT1 Sept._NPM1 27_MC national_JJ election_NN1 in_II which_DDQ both_DB2 hope_VV0 to_TO end_VVI their_APPGE tense_JJ "_" grand_JJ coalition_NN1 "_" of_IO Germany_NP1 's_GE biggest_JJT parties_NN2 ._. 
As_CSA opposition_NN1 leader_NN1 ,_, Merkel_NP1 installed_VVD Koehler_NP1 in_II 2004_MC with_IW the_AT help_NN1 of_IO the_AT pro-business_JJ Free_JJ Democrats_NN2 ,_, her_APPGE preferred_JJ future_JJ coalition_NN1 partner_NN1 ._. 
They_PPHS2 backed_VVD Koehler_NP1 's_GE re-election_NN1 ,_, along_II21 with_II22 a_AT1 smaller_JJR center-right_JJ group_NN1 ._. 
Merkel_VV0 and_CC the_AT Free_JJ Democrats_NN2 '_GE leader_NN1 ,_, Guido_NP1 Westerwelle_NP1 ,_, appeared_VVD together_RL to_TO congratulate_VVI Koehler_NN1 ._. 
"_" Every_AT1 election_NN1 has_VHZ its_APPGE own_DA dynamics_NN ,_, but_CCB it_PPH1 is_VBZ no_AT secret_NN1 that_CST we_PPIS2 are_VBR working_VVG to_TO achieve_VVI a_AT1 majority_NN1 together_RL ,_, "_" Merkel_NP1 told_VVD reporters_NN2 ._. 
"_" Today_RT we_PPIS2 achieved_VVD what_DDQ we_PPIS2 wanted_VVD together_RL ._. "_" 
Senior_JJ conservative_JJ ally_NN1 Horst_NP1 Seehofer_NP1 described_VVD the_AT outcome_NN1 as_II "_" a_AT1 clear_JJ signal_NN1 "_" for_IF a_AT1 center-right_JJ victory_NN1 later_RRR this_DD1 year_NNT1 ._. 
Still_RR ,_, Merkel_NP1 failed_VVD to_TO secure_VVI such_DA a_AT1 victory_NN1 in_II 2005_MC ,_, a_AT1 year_NNT1 after_II Koehler_NP1 was_VBDZ first_MD elected_VVN ._. 
Koehler_NN1 himself_PPX1 said_VVD he_PPHS1 was_VBDZ "_" looking_VVG forward_RL to_II the_AT next_MD five_MC years_NNT2 ._. "_" 
He_PPHS1 added_VVD :_: "_" Dear_JJ compatriots_NN2 ,_, I_PPIS1 promise_VV0 you_PPY I_PPIS1 will_VM continue_VVI to_TO do_VDI my_APPGE best_JJT ._. "_" 
He_PPHS1 said_VVD Germany_NP1 has_VHZ "_" a_AT1 lot_NN1 of_IO work_NN1 ahead_II21 of_II22 us_PPIO2 "_" to_TO emerge_VVI from_II the_AT global_JJ crisis_NN1 that_CST has_VHZ hit_VVN its_APPGE export-driven_JJ economy_NN1 hard_RR ,_, "_" but_CCB we_PPIS2 will_VM make_VVI it_PPH1 ._. "_" 
Koehler_NN1 often_RR has_VHZ positioned_VVN himself_PPX1 as_II an_AT1 outsider_NN1 to_II Germany_NP1 's_GE political_JJ elite_NN1 ._. 
He_PPHS1 occasionally_RR has_VHZ refused_VVN to_TO sign_VVI bills_NN2 into_II law_NN1 because_II21 of_II22 constitutional_JJ concerns_NN2 ,_, and_CC recently_RR warned_VVN politicians_NN2 against_II using_VVG the_AT crisis_NN1 as_II a_AT1 "_" backdrop_NN1 for_IF posturing_VVG ._. "_" 
A_AT1 Koehler_NN1 defeat_NN1 would_VM have_VHI been_VBN embarrassing_JJ for_IF Merkel_NP1 --_NN1 but_CCB risky_JJ for_IF the_AT Social_JJ Democrats_NN2 ,_, with_IW polls_NN2 showing_VVG overwhelming_JJ public_JJ support_NN1 for_IF the_AT incumbent_NN1 ._. 
Schwan_NN1 ,_, who_PNQS already_RR lost_VVN to_II Koehler_NP1 in_II 2004_MC ,_, hoped_VVD to_TO secure_VVI the_AT opposition_NN1 Left_JJ Party_NN1 's_GE support_NN1 and_CC peel_VV0 off_RP center-right_JJ delegates_NN2 in_II later_JJR rounds_NN2 of_IO voting_VVG by_II the_AT sometimes_RT unpredictable_JJ assembly_NN1 ._. 
This_DD1 year_NNT1 's_GE state_NN1 delegates_NN2 included_VVD celebrities_NN2 such_II21 as_II22 national_JJ handball_NN1 team_NN1 trainer_NN1 Heiner_NP1 Brand_NP1 and_CC retired_JJ boxer_NN1 Regina_NP1 Halmich_NP1 ._. 
Alongside_II them_PPHO2 were_VBDR politicians_NN2 including_II Lower_JJR Saxony_NP1 state_NN1 governor_NN1 Christian_JJ Wulff_NN1 ,_, who_PNQS hoped_VVD to_TO finish_VVI the_AT voting_NN1 in_II one_PN1 round_RP so_CS he_PPHS1 could_VM get_VVI home_RL in_II time_NNT1 to_TO see_VVI Wolfsburg_NP1 win_VVI its_APPGE first_MD German_JJ football_NN1 league_NN1 title_NN1 ._. 
The_AT Left_JJ Party_NN1 's_GE long-shot_JJ candidate_NN1 ,_, television_NN1 actor_NN1 Peter_NP1 Sodann_NP1 ,_, won_VVD 91_MC votes_NN2 on_II Saturday_NPD1 ._. 
Far-right_JJ candidate_NN1 Frank_NP1 Rennicke_NP1 won_VVD four_MC ,_, and_CC there_EX were_VBDR 10_MC abstentions_NN2 ._. 
