The death of former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt has prompted impassioned reactions. Many have referred to him as one of the most important German leaders of the post-war period.
As news of Schmidt’s death reverberated around the world, tributes began to pour in from leaders in Germany and beyond.
Chancellor Angela Merkel recognized on Tuesday the merits of the former leader in a meeting with parliamentarians from her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). President Joachim Gauck, meanwhile, described Schmidt as one of the most important politicians of Germany’s post-war period.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who belongs to Schmidt’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), said all of Germany had come to a halt following the politician’s death.
European leaders react to Schmidt’s death
It’s not only in Germany that Schmidt’s death has been felt, however.
French President Francois Hollande was among the first world leaders to pay tribute to the former chancellor, calling him “a great European” and saying he had laid the groundwork for German and French leaders who followed in his footsteps.
Meanwhile, other world leaders, including French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, took to Twitter to honour the former chancellor. Valls called Schmidt the embodiment of “the social-democratic ethos, the Franco-German friendship, the love of Europe,” and issued an appeal to his followers: “Let us be faithful to his memory.”
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also expressed his condolences, saying that “with the death of Helmut Schmidt, we’ve lost a special person, whose political courage moved many.”
The news prompted a response from German leaders across the Atlantic as well, including Peter Wittig, German Ambassador to the US.
Schmidt led West Germany from 1974 to 1982. He was well-known for his plain-spoken style, as well as his commitment to the transatlantic relationship.
Helmut Schmidt – Citizen and statesman, lover of art and music
The terrible floods in Hamburg, economic crisis, the Cold War and the Baader-Meinhof terrorist attacks: Helmut Schmidt made his name mainly as coolly rational crisis manager. To many, the Social Democrat icon still epitomizes statesmanship with vision. Yet, as German Chancellor, Schmidt was also highly controversial.
-DW.COM