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German vice-president of European Parliament resigns over plagiarism allegations

FILE - In this June 1, 2008 file photo Silvana Koch-Mehrin, heading the German Free Democratic Party, FDP, at the European Parliament follows the party congress in Munich, southern Germany. Koch-Mehrin announced on Wednesday, May 11, 2011, to step back from all her posts after massive plagiarism accusations to her university degree. (AP Photo/Christof Stache,file).
FILE - In this June 1, 2008 file photo Silvana Koch-Mehrin, heading the German Free Democratic Party, FDP, at the European Parliament follows the party congress in Munich, southern Germany. Koch-Mehrin announced on Wednesday, May 11, 2011, to step back from all her posts after massive plagiarism accusations to her university degree. (AP Photo/Christof Stache,file).

<p>BERLIN – A vice-president of the European Parliament has become the second prominent German politician to resign this year following allegations that she plagiarized parts of her doctoral thesis.</p> <p>Silvana Koch-Mehrin announced that she is quitting the parliament post and also stepping down from the leadership board of her Free Democratic Party.</p> <p>She added in a statement late Wednesday that she will remain a European lawmaker. She didn’t address the allegations but said she didn’t want to be a “target for attacks.”</p> <p>German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg resigned two months ago after it emerged that he copied large parts of his thesis without attribution.</p> <p>Contributors to a website started an unofficial examination of other doctorates in the wake of his resignation.</p>

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