Leaving office
May 25, 2010
The premier of the state of Hessen, Roland Koch, announced on Tuesday that he would resign from office on August 31.
At a press conference in Wiesbaden, Koch told reporters that "politics is a fascinating part of my life, but it is not my life."
The 52-year old said that he felt he had achieved his goal of bringing a long-term center-right majority to the state of Hesse.
Health concerns played no role in his decision, Koch said.
A new direction
After leaving office, the former corporate attorney said he wanted to return to work, but he did not specify in what capacity.
A member of the center-right Christian Democratic Union, Koch has been premier of the state of Hesse since 1999 and is also vice-chairman of the CDU party. He said will not seek reelection for the party post in June.
Koch had been touted as a potential future chancellor of Germany, were Angela Merkel to step down. Past reports also suggested he was interested in replacing the incumbent finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble.
The politician has recently come under criticism within the party after he demanded that budget cuts be applied in education and childcare, measures that were rejected by many in his own party, including Chancellor Angela Merkel.
smh/dpa/AFP
Editor: Rob Turner