Horst Köhler: The uncomfortable but popular Federal President

Horst Köhler: The uncomfortable but popular Federal President

On the death of Horst Köhler
Tears stood in his eyes when he said a historical sentence






Horst Köhler was uncomfortable, but popular as Federal President. He will be remembered as one who wrote with a single sentence of Federal Republican history.

It was a political bang that made the republic stop. On May 31, 2010, Federal President Horst Köhler surprisingly invited the capital media to a statement in his official headquarters Bellevue. What he had to say was even more surprising: “I hereby explain my resignation from the Office of the Federal President – with immediate effect.” Köhler stood the tears in the eyes. It was a previously unique process in the history of the Federal Republic. Ninth of the ninth German Federal President was remembered more than this spectacular resignation.

None from the political establishment

A little bit of this sudden step may explain that Köhler was the first Federal President who had no party career who was not used to the sharp political argument. Köhler was born on February 22, 1943 in the Polish Skierbieszow, which was occupied by German troops at the time. His family fled to the west in front of the Red Army in front of the Red Army near Leipzig and in 1953 to West Germany. In Tübingen he studied economy, did a doctorate, went to Bonn, rose to the State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Book “Power machine”

Why Horst Köhler stepped down

In 1992, Köhler moved to the head of the German Sparkasse and Giro Association, later went to London to Eastern Europe. In 2000 he became the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He also had a key function in the global financial world and – unlike later than Federal President.

The move to Bellevue Castle came as a surprise. It was the coup of party leader Angela Merkel (CDU) and Guido Westerwelle (FDP), who wanted to set a signal for their desired black and yellow coalition.

When the Federal Assembly elected him to the highest state office on May 23, 2004, Köhler was unknown to most Germans, but was quickly popular. He was unchallenged in office. In 2009 he was re -elected and prevailed against three competitors in the first ballot.

If necessary uncomfortable as Federal President

Köhler started his office as Ninth Federal President on July 1, 2004. “I understand my notice of office as an obligation to contribute to Germany.” If necessary, he wanted to be uncomfortable – which he soon demonstrated. He interpreted too much into daily politics, critics held him.

In November 2004, Köhler, with a public letter, thwarted the plans of the then Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) to always put the day of German unity on the first Sunday in October in order to save a holiday. This was seen as an affront, especially in the SPD. In January 2005, Köhler signed the Air Security Act, but stimulated a review by the Federal Constitutional Court. This later received the provision to shoot out passenger machines in an emergency.

In October 2006, Köhler stopped the law to privatize airspace monitoring, and the Consumer Protection Act in December. In the coalition, these interventions in legislation were annoyed. Köhler had to make the most difficult decision of his term in office right after one year. On July 21, 2005, he resolved the 15th German Bundestag and followed Schröder’s controversial request after an early choice.

African continent lawyer

On an international stage, Köhler mainly set signs for Africa. The neighboring continent was, so to speak, his foreign policy agenda. The first big trip abroad in office led him to Sierra Leone, Benin, Ethiopia and Dschibuti. He visited twelve African countries in the six years of his term.

Old Federal President Horst Köhler

At the age of 81

Former Federal President Horst Köhler died

The African continent already employed Köhler Stark as IMF boss. “I lost my heart in Africa” ​​- this sentence was often heard from his mouth. In his inaugural speech as Federal President on July 1, 2004, he said: “For me, the humanity of our world decides in the fate of Africa.”

At a dinner on the occasion of Köhler 80th birthday, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier recognized his predecessor in March 2023 as the lawyer of the African continent: “You are a reliable, a passionate friend of Africa.” In his condolence letter to the widow Eva Luise Köhler, Steinmeier emphasized Köhler’s commitment to dealing with Africa fairly: “He was far ahead of the time.”

Horst Köhler’s resignation in response to criticism

Köhler’s resignation came completely surprising – also for Chancellor Merkel, who was still trying to change him. Vain. What happened? The trigger was an interview on the Bundeswehr missions abroad, which only largely unnoticed, but then triggered violent criticism. Köhler gave the Deutschlandradio Kultur on the flight home after a lightning visit to Masar-i-Sharif at the German soldiers stationed in Afghanistan.

It was a long, cumbersome phrase that angered the critics. Köhler said that “a country of our size with this foreign trade orientation and thus also foreign trade dependence also needs to know that in case of doubt, in an emergency, military use is also necessary to maintain our interests, for example free trade routes (…)”. Köhler was accused of justifying Afghanistan use with economic interests. Greens parliamentary group leader Jürgen Trittin spoke of “cannon boat policy”.

The criticism goes so far as to assume that he supports the Bundeswehr’s missions not covered by the Basic Law, said Köhler when he resigned. “This criticism lacks any justification. It lacks the necessary respect for my office.”

German tanks at a mission in Afghanistan

18 billion mission

Afghanistan use much more expensive than before-Merkel knew

From head of state to the UN representative

Afterwards it became relatively quiet around Köhler. He continued his commitment to Africa and development policy. In 2016/2017 he headed a commission of the African development bank with the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. In 2017, UN Secretary General António Guterres appointed him a special representative for the Western Sahara conflict. Just two years later, Köhler also resigned this office prematurely – this time for health reasons.

With his wife Eva Luise, Köhler founded a foundation in 2006 that works for better medical care for people with rare diseases. In 2021 he became politically active again and took over the patronage for the first nationwide citizens’ council for climate policy.

He did not regret his departure from the top of the state. “It was not a decision that I enjoyed,” said Köhler in February 2023 in an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” on his 80th birthday. “But I’m completely at peace with myself.”

Dpa

Ulrich Boatkohl / LW

Source: Stern

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