Just two days after the surprise resignation of German President Horst Köhler on Monday, a clear front-runner for the largely ceremonial role of German president seemed to emerge. And in many ways, she resembled Angela Merkel: Labor Minister Ursula von der Leyen  is an ambitious Christian Democrat with an academic background in science, a strong-willed but moderate conservative on social issues. She's also, of course, a woman, meaning Germany began Thursday with the prospect of two women at the summit of power -- an unprecedented notion not just for the Federal Republic but for modern Europe.

But by mid-day, there was a new front-runner, Lower Saxony Governor Christian Wulff. He also hails from the center-left Christian Democrats, and, given the opposition to a von der Leyen candidacy that had emerged within the CDU, told Merkel that he would make himself available. Two German TV stations reported before noon on Thursday that von der Leyen had dropped out of consideration.

The quick rally of support behind her -- and the equally quick shift away -- expresses the urgency in Berlin over the vacuum left by the sudden resignation  of President Horst Köhler. He quit Monday after a barrage of criticism over a remark he made to German troops in Afghanistan. This new crisis is an unwelcome fresh test  of leadership for Merkel, who still seems wobbly after her response to the euro crisis .

Köhler's comments in Afghanistan seemed to conflate German economic interests with its military missions abroad. "Military deployments are necessary ... when it comes to preventing regional instabilities that could negatively influence our trade, jobs and incomes," he said in a radio interview.

The remark went unnoticed for a few days. But late last week, criticism from both the opposition and from within Merkel's coalition became intense. Still, Köhler's resignation was widely seen as an overreaction and the press has blasted him for his thin skin.

Wulff and von der Leyen are both political professionals -- which Köhler was not -- and German commentators on Thursday weigh the qualities needed to fill the traditionally quiet role of German president.

The conservative daily Die Welt writes:

"Only a professional politician would be the proper choice for the next German president after the resignation of political neophyte Horst Köhler. Merkel's first choice is obviously Ursula von der Leyen. So the first female chancellor of the Federal Republic will pave the way for its first female president? Won't two women at the peak of power send a clear signal that the female gender is the mightier -- particularly in these times of crisis?"

"Hold on. Anyone who sees von der Leyen's new position as a strategy of Merkel's to promote the emancipation of women is probably mistaken.... Above all the chancellor needs to feel safe from unexpected attacks from the president's office. Even if the two politicians are not particularly close friends, von der Leyen would be loyal. And in social policy the two women seem in perfect agreement."

"This proximity is just what makes a von der Leyen presidency entirely questionable. The German cabinent should not extend to the president's office. The inherent risk would be high because von der Leyen has enormous political ambitions and can hardly restrain her zeal for action. The role of a president is only to represent the German people, to offer direction from on high -- particularly in times of crisis. As a cabinet minister, Von der Leyen is in the right place. She should stay there."

The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung argues:

"If we notice that the Federal Assembly (which will choose the next president on June 30) consists of a clear CDU-FDP majority (Christian Democrats allied with their coalition partners, the Free Democrats); if we accept that Chancellor Merkel is under too much pressure at the moment to make friendly gestures to the opposition; and if we acknowledge that questions of political power trump those of policy -- then Ursula von der Leyen is the best candidate for German president that anyone could wish for at the moment."

"The critic who rightfully complains that von der Leyen, as a professional politican, is not a politically unifying figure, must also admit that those who have arrived at the presidency from other careers have not always fared well. Horst Köhler is only the most recent example. … Political newcomers have to learn that the (unpleasant aspects) of politics … are not just a side-effect of the trade, but a part of our complicated democracy itself."

The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung avoids mentioning the morning front-runner at all:

"For some time now, Angela Merkel has not had to fear a (politically treacherous) state governor waiting in the shadows with a sharpened dagger. In the meantime a different danger has arisen, namely that her allies will keep their distance, and leave Merkel standing alone."