Guest post
Bundestag Vice President Petra Pau
“Wolfgang Schäuble and I often had opposing opinions. But we shared one concern”
Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) and Petra Pau (The Left)
© Kay Nietfeld/ / Picture Alliance
Controversial, but committed to the end: Bundestag Vice President Petra Pau honors the late CDU politician Wolfgang Schäuble as a “parliamentarian with heart and soul.”
By Petra Pau
The lawyer Peter Michael Distel (CDU) was the Interior Minister at the time and a negotiator for the final GDR. Schäuble had the upper hand and pushed through what he had in mind, he recalls in one of his books. And that with long-term consequences. The united Federal Republic did not get a new constitution, although the Basic Law was historically only considered provisional. And the fact that East Germans were and are often disadvantaged compared to West Germans in terms of wages and salaries, pensions and pensions bears his signature.
Wolfgang Schäuble was a parliamentarian with heart and soul
Even during his time as interior or finance minister, we mostly had opposing opinions. That’s obvious, after all, he was a member of the CDU and I was a member of the Left. At the same time, Wolfgang Schäuble was a parliamentarian with heart and soul. And the fact that the German Bundestag moved from Bonn to Berlin in 1999 is largely thanks to his plea.
As a member of the Bundestag Presidium, we had good discussions. He always treated me with respect. And we shared concerns about increasing disillusionment with politicians in society. This is dangerous for democracy. For this reason, a citizens’ council was appointed in January 2021. Wolfgang Schäuble explained: “This special form of participation can strengthen trust in politics and give new impetus to representative democracy.” Democracy is under increasing pressure worldwide, “but if it is flexible and open to new things – then it remains stable.” I am also currently emphasizing this.
In 2010 I became ill with my voice and was speechless for a long time. My respect for Wolfgang Schäuble’s discipline and his training to be physically and mentally fit was all the greater. He fought hard until the end.