German politics mourns the death of Wolfgang Schäuble. A “great statesman” has died, a “close advisor”, “one of the most important democrats”, politicians and former companions pay tribute to the deceased.
Politicians across party lines paid respect to Wolfgang Schäuble after his death and expressed their condolences to the family of the former Federal Minister of the Interior and President of the Bundestag.
Wolfgang Schäuble shaped Germany through his political work for more than half a century, wrote Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the former CDU chairman on the short message service X, formerly Twitter. “With him, Germany is losing a sharp thinker, passionate politician and controversial democrat. My thoughts are with his family today,” said Scholz.
In a statement published shortly afterwards, the Chancellor also focused on Schäuble’s “impressive and very long political career”. “His intellect, his joy in democratic debate, his conservative world view and his rhetorical sharpness particularly distinguished him throughout this time,” the statement said.
Germany is losing a formative Christian Democrat who loved to argue and yet never lost sight of what politics was about: making the lives of its citizens better.
“Great sadness” for a “close advisor”
CDU leader Friedrich Merz spoke on X about the loss of the “closest confidant and advisor” he had ever had. The news of the 81-year-old’s death filled him with great sadness.
The CSU chairman Markus Söder also emphasized the “great contributions” that Schäuble had made to Germany in the political offices he held. The CSU will “preserve an honorable memory of him.”
Former Health Minister Jens Spahn described Schäuble as “my most important mentor and a fatherly friend.” Former Federal Economics Minister Peter Altmaier recalled his own time as Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of the Interior under Schäuble and wrote that he had once hoped for a “Chancellor Schäuble”.
“We have lost one of the greatest servants of our country,” said Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer. No one has shaped the Federal Republic with his political expertise and insight for as long as Schäuble.
“Parliamentarian through and through”
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser described Schäuble as “one of the most important democrats,” a “great statesman” and “an architect of German unity.” “His word had great weight – as a minister, as President of the German Bundestag and also in recent years. He lived and worked with responsibility for our country – until the end,” said the SPD politician.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed her deep condolences to Schäuble’s family. “Hardly any politician has shaped recent German history and our democratic culture as much as Wolfgang Schäuble,” said the Green politician, particularly emphasizing Schäuble’s commitment to German and European unification.
Bundestag President Bärbel Bas, who took over the office from Schäuble in 2021, also expressed her condolences to the relatives of the deceased on X. The Vice President of the Bundestag, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, said Germany was losing “a passionate defender of our parliamentary democracy.” Schäuble was a “parliamentarian through and through” and “a political intellectual,” wrote the Green Party politician. She got to know him as a “strong-minded and reliable person” and “appreciated his strength in arguments, his argumentativeness, not always his insistence, but always his openness to keep the conversation at a high level and challenging.”
The leader of the Green Party in the Bundestag, Katharina Dröge, made a similar statement. Schäuble’s work “has shaped this country,” she emphasized and thanked the CDU politician “for his impressive commitment to our parliamentarism and our democracy.”
“He put his life at the service of the country”
Schäuble’s work was also recognized outside of politics. The Central Council of Jews in Germany wrote on X that Schäuble “put his life in the service of our country and was a close friend of the Jewish community in Germany. Our thoughts are with his family.”