Following the resignation of President Christian Wulff on 17 February 2012, Joachim Gauck was nominated on 19 February as the joint candidate for President of Germany by the government parties CDU, CSU and FDP, and the opposition SPD and the Alliance '90/The Greens.
On 18 March 2012, Gauck was elected President of Germany with 991 of 1228 votes in the Federal Convention [REF].