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Wolfgang Schäuble

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Wolfgang Schäuble
NameWolfgang Schäuble
CaptionSchäuble in 2017
OfficePresident of the Bundestag
Term start24 October 2017
Term end26 October 2021
PredecessorNorbert Lammert
SuccessorBärbel Bas
Office1Federal Minister of Finance
Chancellor1Angela Merkel
Term start128 October 2009
Term end124 October 2017
Predecessor1Peer Steinbrück
Successor1Olaf Scholz
Office2Federal Minister of the Interior
Chancellor2Helmut Kohl
Term start221 April 1989
Term end226 October 1991
Predecessor2Friedrich Zimmermann
Successor2Rudolf Seiters
Office3Federal Minister for Special Affairs, Head of the Chancellery
Chancellor3Helmut Kohl
Term start315 November 1984
Term end321 April 1989
Predecessor3Waldemar Schreckenberger
Successor3Rudolf Seiters
Birth date18 September 1942
Birth placeFreiburg im Breisgau, Nazi Germany
Death date26 December 2023 (aged 81)
Death placeOffenburg, Germany
PartyChristian Democratic Union
SpouseIngeborg Schäuble, 1969, 2023
Alma materUniversity of Freiburg, University of Hamburg

Wolfgang Schäuble was a German statesman and a towering figure in the Christian Democratic Union whose political career spanned over five decades. He served as a key minister under Chancellor Helmut Kohl, playing a pivotal role in German reunification, and later as Finance Minister for Angela Merkel during the European debt crisis. Schäuble concluded his service as President of the Bundestag, the longest-serving member of the German Bundestag at the time of his death.

Early life and education

Born in Freiburg im Breisgau in 1942, his family later moved to Hornberg in the Black Forest. He studied law and economics at the University of Freiburg and the University of Hamburg, passing his second state examination in 1971. During his studies, he joined the CDU/CSU-affiliated Ring of Christian Democratic Students and began his political ascent within the Young Union.

Political career

He was first elected to the Bundestag in 1972 for the constituency of Offenburg, a seat he would hold continuously for 51 years. Under Chancellor Helmut Kohl, he served as Head of the Chancellery and Minister for Special Affairs from 1984. In 1989, he was appointed Federal Minister of the Interior, a position he held during the tumultuous period of the Peaceful Revolution in the German Democratic Republic.

Role in German reunification

As Interior Minister, he was the chief negotiator for the Federal Republic of Germany on the Unification Treaty that formally integrated the German Democratic Republic. He worked closely with Günther Krause, his counterpart from the GDR, and the treaty was signed on 31 August 1990. This critical work cemented his reputation as an architect of unity and a trusted lieutenant to Helmut Kohl.

Tenure as Minister of Finance

Appointed Federal Minister of Finance by Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2009, he became a dominant figure in European austerity politics during the European debt crisis. A staunch advocate of fiscal discipline, he was instrumental in crafting the European Financial Stability Facility and the European Stability Mechanism. His policies, particularly regarding Greece, often brought him into conflict with other Eurozone leaders and institutions like the International Monetary Fund.

Later political life and presidency of the Bundestag

After leaving the finance ministry, he was elected President of the Bundestag in October 2017, succeeding Norbert Lammert. In this role, he presided over the parliament with authority and strict adherence to procedure. He decided not to stand for re-election in 2021 and was succeeded by Bärbel Bas. Upon his retirement from the presidency, he became the Father of the House as the longest-serving sitting member.

Personal life and death

In 1990, he survived an assassination attempt in Oppenau by a mentally ill assailant, which left him permanently using a wheelchair. He was married to Ingeborg Schäuble from 1969 until her death in 2023, and they had four children. A deeply committed European and fiscal hawk, his legacy is indelibly linked to the shaping of modern Germany and the European Union. He died on 26 December 2023 at his home in Offenburg.

Category:1942 births Category:2023 deaths Category:Christian Democratic Union of Germany politicians Category:Members of the Bundestag Category:German finance ministers