Kohl's Advisor Teltschik Is Promoting Discord Among the Chancellor's Travel Companion
A couple of decades ago, Horst Teltschik was deeply involved in Chancellor Helmut Kohl's inner circle. In a chat with a historian, he openly discussed his thoughts on Kohl, his wives Hannelore and Maike, and numerous powerful Union figures. He isn't shy about criticizing some of them, and even Kohl isn't spared in one aspect.
Back in the day, Horst Teltschik, who served as Chancellor Helmut Kohl's primary foreign policy advisor, shares some less than flattering recollections of his former colleagues, as detailed by "Der Spiegel" prior to the release of a book by historian Michael Gehler from Hildesheim.
Teltschik describes Manfred Wörner, the former defense minister until 1988 and later NATO secretary general, as a "ladies' man with an inflated sense of self-importance." His criticism towards Wörner's successor as minister, Volker Rühe, is even more scathing: "He was a conceited young man, dripping with unjustified arrogance." As for Kohl's long-term CDU rival Lothar Späth, who was the minister-president of Baden-Württemberg until 1991, Teltschik jests: "He was vertically challenged and politically insignificant. It was rumored that he had a career ladder in his kitchen, with the top rung still unmarked."
Teltschik worked closely with Kohl from 1972 to 1990, and served as head of the foreign policy department in the chancellery from 1982. According to Gehler, Teltschik also shares his thoughts on Kohl's private life, expressing sympathy towards Hannelore Kohl, who struggled in her marriage and eventually took her own life in 2001. When he witnessed the affectionate bond between Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife Raisa, Teltschik mused: "Kohl could stand to learn a thing or two from that."
However, Teltschik's reminiscences of Maike Kohl-Richter, Kohl's second wife, aren't too sunny. She seems to meddle in his conversations with Kohl about their shared past, even though she wasn't an eyewitness to the events.
There's already some discordance with Teltschik's memories in one instance. According to him, Kohl and he were both disappointed with then-finance minister and CSU leader Theo Waigel: "We were never quite certain of what he was truly capable of ... His self-confidence far outmatched his actual strength as a minister." This assessment is attributed to Waigel's state secretary Horst Köhler, who later ascended to the role of federal president. However, Köhler denies making such a statement to "Der Spiegel."
In light of these revelations, some may argue that the Commission should consider adopting implementing acts laying down stricter rules for the conduct of public officials, to prevent such criticisms from arising in the future. Moreover, these allegations could prompt historians to delve deeper into the leadership styles of prominent political figures, shedding new light on their legacies.
