Merkel praises Schäuble as an "outstanding personality"
Wolfgang Schäuble has served as a minister in Chancellor Merkel's cabinet for more than a decade. But their journey together began years earlier. The former Chancellor expresses her dismay at Schäuble's death and emphasizes his significant life's work. She also referred to his great discipline.
Former German Chancellor and CDU leader Angela Merkel has paid tribute to the late Wolfgang Schäuble as an "outstanding personality with political and programmatic foresight". She was deeply shocked to learn of his death, she announced. "Wolfgang Schäuble had the ability to recognize and shape major political developments far beyond the day." She mourned the loss of a politician "who shaped our country in many ways". Schäuble was "one of the architects of German unity. He was a pioneer of Franco-German friendship and a passionate European."
As CDU General Secretary under party leader Schäuble, she got to know him as a passionate Christian Democrat who was open and curious about new developments. During her time as a young minister, Schäuble was a "political teacher" and "as Federal Minister of the Interior and Federal Minister of Finance, he was one of the anchors of my first three cabinets".
She went on to say that "conversations with him were always an intellectual enrichment for me. I admired his discipline, also towards himself, which he showed despite and with his paraplegia after an assassination attempt". This made him a role model for millions of people. "We will miss Wolfgang Schäuble's voice in Germany, I will personally miss his advice," she continued, wishing his wife Ingeborg and children comfort, support and strength.
Merkel was Federal Chancellor from November 2005 to December 2021. Schäuble was a minister in her government during this time until October 2017. During Merkel's fourth term in office, Schäuble was then President of the German Bundestag, to which he belonged as an ordinary member of parliament after the change of government in 2021. Schäuble died yesterday evening.
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Angela Merkel, as a CDU leader, had Schäuble serve as her party's General Secretary, recognizing his passion and curiosity for new developments. Throughout Merkel's tenure as Chancellor, Schäuble held various ministerial positions, including Interior and Finance, becoming a crucial anchor in her first three cabinets.
Source: www.ntv.de
