Wolfgang Schäuble is dead: the end of an era

No one has been a member of the Bundestag for as long as him: With the death of Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany has lost a thoroughbred politician. Even though he was denied the really big office, he was an important mastermind until the end.

Wolfgang Schäuble was a member of the Bundestag for 51 years. Only he has achieved this record so far. The CDU politician from Offenburg has won 14 direct mandates. When he was honored in parliament in December 2022, Bundestag President Bärbel Bas revealed that his start as a member of parliament was not at all spectacular: “According to your own information, you were actually an embarrassing candidate for the CDU in your constituency.” The “embarrassment candidate” became a full-blooded politician.

As Federal Finance Minister, the trained lawyer from the Baden province was considered by global economic experts to be a money-maker: “Nobel Prize winners believe that I have nothing in my head except a zero,” Schäuble said jokingly. What is meant is the black zero, a term that Schäuble coined as finance minister.

“I’m not comfortable, but I’m loyal”

His English also had cult status: “I’ll be over on the 28th midnight” was his announcement during the Greek crisis, “over” was nothing back then and Wolfgang Schäuble’s career also continued. On the numbers man’s credit side is a list of offices: Head of the Chancellery, Interior Minister, Finance Minister, parliamentary group leader, party leader, Bundestag President. For decades he stood at the forefront and finally became content: “I don’t need to become anything more, I don’t want to become anything more.”

What he wanted to be and didn’t become: Chancellor as Kohl’s successor. But Helmut Kohl prevented that. Schäuble, as Federal President, later prevented Angela Merkel. Schäuble remained silent at the time, true to his motto: “I’m not easy to care for, I’m not comfortable, but I’m loyal.”

The most moving moment

As finance ministers under Merkel, the two of them always stayed on the same page. Merkel, the East German – Schäuble, the architect of unity. Schäuble ultimately described the fall of the Wall and reunification as the most moving moment in his political life.

Nine days after German Unity Day, the most dramatic moment in Schäuble’s life happened. The assassination attempt on October 12, 1990. Two shots from a mentally ill assassin put him in a wheelchair. Schäuble said it had nothing directly to do with reunification. “But it just coincides in time.”

The city of Berlin honored him as an honorary citizen because he had enthusiastically promoted the capital after reunification.

A shadow on your career

A shadow fell over his political career in 2000: the CDU donations affair. Schäuble has to resign from his positions as party and parliamentary group leader; his successors are Merkel and Merz.

He was a puppet master in the Union until the end. In spring 2021, he prevented the candidate for chancellor Markus Söder from attending a nightly meeting. However, Armin Laschet later loses the federal election. Schäuble already knew what that would mean for him: “I’m prepared for that and it’s not a problem for me.” The opposition bench, row 6, was his last place in parliament, one of 197 Union MPs.

He always wanted to make a difference, said Schäuble. He was a full-blooded politician who could be cold and tough, sometimes sensitive and always quick-thinking – ultimately with more and more composure: “By the way, that’s the advantage when you get older. You then gain freedom.” With the death of Wolfgang Schäuble, an era is coming to an end.

Note: Das Erste is broadcasting a detailed obituary for Wolfgang Schäuble today – at 11:45 p.m., following the daily topics.