German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg stepped down Tuesday after an uproar ensued when it emerged that half of his doctoral thesis was plagiarized.
The plagiarism row led over 50,000 German academics to sign a letter objecting to Guttenberg’s continued role in politics, German media reported.
Opposition parties had also put great pressure on Guttenberg to resign, arguing that he had lost his credibility.
Last week the University of Bayreuth, where he received his degree, stripped Guttenberg of his title.
Guttenberg described his resignation at a press conference in Berlin as “the most painful step” of his life.
Over the past few years, Guttenberg has been one of Germany’s most popular politicians and was seen as a candidate for chancellor.
His resignation comes as a blow for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party, which is gearing up for state elections later this month.
The plagiarism row led over 50,000 German academics to sign a letter objecting to Guttenberg’s continued role in politics, German media reported.
Opposition parties had also put great pressure on Guttenberg to resign, arguing that he had lost his credibility.
Last week the University of Bayreuth, where he received his degree, stripped Guttenberg of his title.
Guttenberg described his resignation at a press conference in Berlin as “the most painful step” of his life.
Over the past few years, Guttenberg has been one of Germany’s most popular politicians and was seen as a candidate for chancellor.
His resignation comes as a blow for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party, which is gearing up for state elections later this month.
