German bank asks race-row member to quit

Germany's central bank said yesterday that it would request the dismissal of a board member whose comments stereotyping Muslims and Jews drew outrage at home and abroad.

The Bundesbank said that members of its six-member board "unanimously agreed" to ask German president Christian Wulff to remove Thilo Sarrazin, 65, from his post. It said the bank's corporate governance commissioner "unreservedly supports" the decision.

Mr Wulff's office said he had received the request from the Bundesbank and was considering it. It did not say when he was expected to make a decision.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, several members of her government, lawmakers and others have indicated they would like Mr Sarrazin to go, amid fears that his comments were damaging to the central bank's reputation.

A government spokesman signalled Merkel's satisfaction with the bank's announcement.

"The chancellor has taken note, with great respect, of the independent decision of the Bundesbank's board," the spokesman said.

Mr Sarrazin maintained in a book published earlier this week that Muslim immigrants in Europe are unwilling or incapable of integrating He also has cited studies he says prove "all Jews share a certain gene" - ideas he stressed in interviews published ahead of its Monday release.

When asked before Thursday's decision about the uproar surrounding Mr Sarrazin, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said he was "appalled by the remarks".

On Monday, the Bundesbank distanced itself from the remarks, but it took several days to reach a decision on action. It is the first time in its post-war history that it has sought to remove a member of the board.