Inopportune farewell in Hamburg

The mayor of the German city-state of Hamburg Ole von Beust announced his resignation on Sunday, meaning the loss of another leading figure at state level for the ruling CDU party. The conservative daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung sees parallels with the resignation of former German president Horst Köhler: "Beust's resignation comes as no big surprise. For months insiders have been saying that the popular baron was weary of office. But von Beust always fiercely denied such rumours. Only this spring he belligerently declared that the city must return to fiscal discipline after a prolonged phase of carefree spending, and that he would rise to the challenge. Ole von Breust spoke back then with almost the same resolve as Finance Minister Schäuble or the liberal budgetary politicians. Now he's giving up his office with miles to go before he reaches the target and in a manner that vaguely resembles how German President Köhler made his exit - not a very convincing departure."

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