Thomas Peter
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) looks at former East German rights activist Joachim Gauck, joint candidate of government and opposition for the post of president, at the Chancellery in Berlin February 19, 2012. Merkel bowed to pressure on Sunday and agreed to back popular opposition candidate Gauck to become president, averting a political fight that might have distracted her government from solving the euro zone crisis. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
