German President Christian Wulff, an ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, faced resignation calls on Tuesday over a home loan scandal and allegations he tried to hush up the story.
Mr Wulff, 52, has been hit by accusations that he intervened to try to stop revelations by the mass circulation newspaper Bild last month over a personal loan he received from the wife of a tycoon friend, AFP news agency reports.
He left a furious message on the voicemail of Bild's powerful editor Kai Diekmann threatening legal action and also reportedly contacted the chief executive of Bild's publishing house Axel Springer and its main shareholder.
Amid rising anger in the country at a perceived attack on the freedom of the press, the Financial Times Deutschland said he should step down from his office.
