Scholz: Schäuble's death means Germany has lost 'impressive' figure

DPA
·1 min read
Wolfgang Schaeuble (R), then President of the Bundestag, and Olaf Scholz, then Federal Minister of Finance, take part in the presentation of the special stamp in the Reichstag building on the occasion of the 100th birthday of former President of the Bundestag Annemarie Renger. Wolfgang Kumm/dpa
Wolfgang Schaeuble (R), then President of the Bundestag, and Olaf Scholz, then Federal Minister of Finance, take part in the presentation of the special stamp in the Reichstag building on the occasion of the 100th birthday of former President of the Bundestag Annemarie Renger. Wolfgang Kumm/dpa
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has hailed Wolfgang Schäuble's "impressive and very long career" after the former finance minister died at the age of 81.

"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," Social Democrat Scholz said in a statement.

"Germany has lost one of its formative Christian Democrats, who liked to argue his point and thereby never forgot what politics is all about - making life better for citizens."

Schäuble, also a former leader of the Christian Democratic Union and an ex-interior minister who helped oversee German reunification in 1990, died on Tuesday evening.

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