Left party candidate

In the 1970s and 80s students at the University of Television and Film in Munich raved about Luc - short for Lukrezia - Jochimsen.

The editor of the investigative political magazine program Panorama was a lecturer there, and even people who did not agree with her political views were in awe of her talent for teaching her students the secrets of good TV journalism.

Seasoned journalist

Jochimsen, who was born in Nuremberg in 1936, moved on to work for German public broadcaster ARD in London twice, as a correspondent and bureau chief.

In 1994, she became editor-in-chief for television at ARD's regional broadcasting service for the state of Hesse.

Her critics claim that, as a journalist, she was biased, as she has always been open about her political views, which she describes as social democratic and socialist.

A year after she retired as editor-in-chief, Jochimsen stood as main candidate in Hesse for the now defunct Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) in the federal elections in 2002. She cited the war in Iraq as the main reason for her candidacy, as the PDS was the party that most strongly condemned the campaign.

A member of parliament since 2005

Her first political campaign was unsuccessful, but at the national elections in 2005, Jochimsen became a member of parliament, after she switched constituencies to run for the PDS in the eastern state of Thuringia.

Since then, she has been working in the Left party's culture and media committee. She is known for her linguistic flair, which never fails to liven up debates in parliament.

Jochimsen is the oldest of the three candidates for Germany's highest-ranking political post. The name Lukrezia may sound a bit dated, but Jochimsen by no means comes across as old.

Author: Peter Stuetzle/ng
Editor: Rob Turner