Former German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble dies at age 81

DPA
·1 min read
Wolfgang Schauble (CDU), former President of the Bundestag and a member of the German Bundestag since 1972, takes part in a panel discussion on the topic of "Europe at the turn of the times". Schauble, Germany's finance minister during the eurozone crisis, has died at the age of 81, his family tells dpa. Markus Scholz/dpa
Wolfgang Schauble (CDU), former President of the Bundestag and a member of the German Bundestag since 1972, takes part in a panel discussion on the topic of "Europe at the turn of the times". Schauble, Germany's finance minister during the eurozone crisis, has died at the age of 81, his family tells dpa. Markus Scholz/dpa
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Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany's finance minister during the eurozone crisis, has died at the age of 81, his family tells dpa.

Schäuble took on the post in 2009 and came to be seen as one of the most powerful figures in then chancellor Angela Merkel's government.

His austerity policies and strict line towards the debt-ridden southern European states earned him both heavy criticism and high praise.

He was later appointed the speaker of the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament, a post he held until 2021.

He died on Tuesday evening surrounded by his family.