German leaders mourn ex-finance minister Schäuble as 'great figure'

German leaders have paid tribute to Wolfgang Schäuble, the finance minister of Europe's biggest economy during the eurozone debt crisis, who has died at the age of 81.

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.

The start of his tenure coincided with the beginning of a European debt crisis that saw several states, particularly Greece, unable to bail out their banks or pay off their own debt. The crisis brought fears that the euro currency itself could fail.

Schäuble's austerity policies and strict line towards the southern European states earned him both heavy criticism and high praise during his eight years in the role.

Differences of opinion with Merkel over his uncompromising treatment of Greece emerged but she kept him on.

Despite the crisis he achieved the "black zero" for Germany - a federal budget without new debt.

Merkel said she learnt of the death of Schäuble "with great dismay" and characterized him as one of the country's most important political figures.

"Germany has lost an outstanding personality with political and tactical foresight," Merkel said in a statement. "We will miss Wolfgang Schäuble's voice in Germany and I will personally miss his advice."

After his role as finance minister, he was later appointed the speaker of the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament, a post he held until 2021.

Before joining the Finance Ministry, he had been interior minister twice under both Merkel and one of her predecessors Helmut Kohl - being a key part of the negotiating team during German reunification in 1990 under Kohl.

He paid a heavy price, being shot at a rally by a mentally disturbed man just after reunification and ending up paralysed. He used a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

"I admired his discipline, even towards himself, which he showed despite and because of his paraplegia after an assassination attempt. He became a role model for millions of people," Merkel added.

Between the two chancellors, Schäuble even led the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) for over a year between November 1998 and February 2000 when the party was in opposition, but stepped down over a donations scandal.

In all his career spanned more than five decades, making him Germany's long-serving member of parliament.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, from the CDU's main rival the Social Democrats, hailed Schäuble for an "impressive and very long career."

He added in a statement: "His intellect, his love of democratic debate, his conservative world view and his sharp rhetoric made him particularly stand out over such a long period."

Current CDU leader Friedrich Merz gave his own tribute, writing on X: "In Wolfgang Schäuble, I have lost the closest friend and adviser I have ever had in politics. My thoughts are with his family, especially his wife Ingeborg."

Schäuble, who was born in the south-western German city of Freiburg in 1942, died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday evening surrounded by family members, his family told dpa on Wednesday. He had suffered a long and serious illness.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Schäuble had been a "stroke of luck for German history."

"In Wolfgang Schäuble, we have lost a great figure and passionate politician who achieved historic things for our country," he wrote.