Leadership condoles ex- German Chancellor
Condoling the demise of former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa sent a message to German President Joachim Gauck yesterday. HM the King offered deepest condolences to President Joachim Gauck, the German people and the family of the deceased.
Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa also sent similar message to German President Joachim Gauck following the death of Helmut Schmidt. HRH the Prime Minister offered deepest condolences to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the death of the former German Chancellor.
Former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt died on Tuesday aged 96 and leaders from Europe and the US praised him as an architect of international cooperation and post-war European integration. Schmidt was then-West Germany’s second center-left government leader from 1974 to 1982, taking office at the height of the Cold War when fellow Social Democrat (SPD) Willy Brandt was forced to resign after a close aide was exposed as a spy for Communist East Germany.
At the same time, Schmidt dealt with the consequences of the 1973-74 energy crisis caused by the OPEC oil embargo, and later faced down a serious threat to West German democracy from a spree of attacks by Red Army Faction urban guerrillas.
“We are mourning Schmidt and are proud that he was one of us. We will miss his powerful judgment and advice,” tweeted current German SPD leader and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised Schmidt as a mastermind of international cooperation whose decisions continued to have an effect today.
French President Francois Hollande called Schmidt a “great German statesman”.
“He led his country at a very difficult time and he led it towards economic stability and towards the choice of growth,” said Hollande, who added that Europe owed the existence of the euro common currency to Schmidt.
The White House said in a statement that Schmidt was “a firm, sure voice in a time of uncertainty and was widely admired for his principled approach to advancing détente while also standing firmly against aggression and violations of fundamental freedoms and human rights.”
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