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It’s a small sensation: more than 24 years after their falling out, the former intimate enemies Gerhard Schröder and Oskar Lafontaine spoke out at a confidential meeting. In the star Schröder congratulates his former opponent on his 80th birthday.
Almost a quarter of a century after their falling out, former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and the former SPD leader and Federal Finance Minister Oskar Lafontaine are seeking reconciliation. According to information from star The two met in May at a secret meeting in Lafontaine’s house in Saarland for a five-hour conversation. Now Schröder congratulates his former rival star for the 80th birthday.
According to confidants, the wives of the two former intimate enemies, So-yeon Schröder-Kim and Sahra Wagenknecht, were also present at the meeting in early summer, which has so far remained confidential. Schröder and Lafontaine therefore temporarily withdrew in order to work through their history and their rift in private.
Current questions were also discussed, it is said. Schröder and Lafontaine have spoken on the phone again since then.
“Best regards, your Gerd”
Lafontaine turns 80 this Saturday, Schröder wrote for him star a congratulatory message. “Dear Oskar,” writes Schröder. “Once again you are faster than me. You will be 80 years old on September 16th this year, I won’t be until April 7th next year. I would like to congratulate you very much on your 80th birthday!”
At the beginning of their journey together, “such a congratulation was a given,” said Schröder. “Over the years there have been ‘trials and tribulations’, to quote Theodor Fontane. Turning 80 is certainly a reason to let old frictions become history. Ad multos annos – and: thank you for your decades of friendship – too “In difficult times! I wish you all the best, happiness and health for the new year,” writes the Social Democrat. “Best regards, your Gerd”.
The break between Lafontaine and Schröder in 1999 not only created an epic male enmity, it also changed the political landscape, especially on the left. Reconciliation seemed unthinkable until now.
The last known correspondence between the two dates back to the afternoon of March 11, 1999. At that time, a letter from Lafontaine reached Schröder’s Bonn chancellor’s office by messenger. It said: “Dear Mr. Federal Chancellor, I hereby resign as Federal Minister of Finance. Kind regards, Oskar Lafontaine.”
Read the entire text shortly on stern.de and in the new issue from Thursday.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
