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| Wolfgang Schauble |
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He is rightfully called one of the brightest, talented and intelligent politicians of the modern Germany. The organizer of secret negotiations with the Kremlin in the Eighties, the main driving force of uniting Germany in 1990, the active supporter of the idea of Atlantism and the favorite of the German public, Wolfgang Schauble is going to take control over the Ministry of Internal Affairs - one of the most powerful and effective security systems in the world.
The Unexpected Nominee
At the beginning of summer of this year, during the discussion of probable distribution of ministerial portfolios in case of Angela Merkel's victory in parliamentary elections, the German political commentators practically did not mention the name of doctor Wolfgang Schauble. It was considered, that this 63-years old veteran of the German politics has all chances to reach the post of the speaker of the German Parliament, Bundestag, which, before the elections, was occupied by the SPD representative Wolfgang Tierse. For this reason yesterday's statement of Merkel at a press conference in Berlin on nominating Schauble to the post of Minister of Internal Affairs (Bundesinnenminister), the highest in the German system of state security, was unexpected for many Germans. Wolfgang Schauble became one of 7 candidates to be Ministers from the SDU/CSU union, suggested by Angela Merkel. Three days before, the social democrats suggested their own 8 nominees to the ministerial posts.
It is necessary to note that doctor Schauble is not a tyro in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He already supervised in the past over this department during the period since April, 1989 till November, 1991. After becoming the head of this Ministry several most powerful organizations, such as the Border Protection Service (Bundesgrenzschutz or Bundespolizei), the Protection service of the Constitution (Bundesamt fur Verfassungsschutz, counterespionage), Service of Criminal police (Bundeskriminalamt), Emigratory service (Bundesamt fur die Anerkennung auslandischer Fluchtlinge) and the Service of Protection of the Information Infrastructures (Bundesamt fur Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik) will be at his disposal.
The Architect of the German Unity
Wolfgang Schauble was born on September, 18, 1942, during the WW II, in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, in Southern Germany, near the border of Switzerland and France. Due to its well-known university, Freiburg from the beginning of the century was considered as the academic city, where students from all over Europe were flowing together. For this reason the atmosphere of the European unity broken only under Nazi regime always reigned there. In 1945 the city was a part of the French occupational zone, and in its center the barracks of the French garrison, which existed up to the middle of the Nineties, were placed. Constant presence of the big number of foreigners in the city promoted gradual restoration of its special pre-war atmosphere. Already in the Sixties Freiburg was again one of the safest and most cosmopolitan cities of the Western Germany, full of foreign students. During this period Wolfgang Schauble studied at the local university at the faculties of jurisprudence and economy. It was the time when his pro-European and Atlantistic views formed, which further determined his foreign policy positions.
In 1971 Schauble received a scientific degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence at the University of Hamburg. Upon graduation he started working as an adviser in the financial department of the local government of Freiburg.
Political activity of Wolfgang Schauble started early, in 1961, when after the school graduation he joined "The Youth Union" ("Junge Union"), the youth organization of CDU/CSU union. Already at the final stage of his academic studies, young Schauble proved to be a talented organizer and that allowed him to reach the post of the head of the student's organization of Christian democrats (Ring Christlich-Demokratischer Studenten, RCDS.) After several years of vigorous activity on this post, the road to party's leadership was open for him. Joining the lines of CDU in 1965 was followed with sharp ascending on the party's leader of ranks, as a result of which 7 years later, in 1972, at the age of only 30, Wolfgang Schauble was elected a Member of the German Parliament from Christian democrats. However, the true blossoming of his political career falls on the beginning of the Eighties, when he became a member of the team of recently elected chancellor Helmut Kohl. He quickly estimated the numerous talents of Schauble and only two years later, in November, 1984, in the age of 42 years, he was appointed to the one of the most influential posts in the German leadership - the post of the head of the chancellor's office (Chef des Bundeskanzleramts) and Minister for special assignments (Bundesminister fur besondere Aufgaben). It is necessary to note, that before his assignment this post was not occupied for whole ten years. However, at the middle of the Eighties chancellor Kohl decided that it’s a high time for "special assignments".
The reformer Gorbachev came to power in the Soviet Union, progressing internal crisis in East Germany testified to the growing readiness of its leadership to a dialogue on rapprochement with the western part of the country. On this background the chancellor selected Schauble to perform the most delicate and most complex state assignments. The future of Germany was at stake. And Schauble didn't let Kohl down. Helmut Kolh's historical visit to Moscow and to Stavropol during which Gorbachev agreed to uniting of Germany within the framework of NATO and to withdrawal of the Soviet armies from the territory of this country took place in the middle of July, 1990. " It is breakthrough - Kohl said then – a fantastic result! ". And he knew that this breakthrough was achieved in many respects due to the secret activity of Wolfgang Schauble.
Kohl paid his debt. During his abovementioned meeting with Gorbachev, his "true henchman" was already for a year the Minister of Internal Affairs. And in this post he, instead of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, negotiated with the leadership of GDR on the process of uniting of both parts of Germany into one state. When, at last, long-awaited unity was achieved on October, 3, 1990, all of Germany knew that its main "architect" was Wolfgang Schauble.
But 9 days later, on October, 12, mentally ill person shot him during one of his meetings with the voters in the city of Oppenau. Heavy wound was inflicted and Schauble would never leave wheelchair, however, he found strength to remain in politics. In November 1991 he was elected a chairman of CDU faction in Bundestag. Already at that time Helmut Kohl named 49-years old Schauble his potential successor on the post of the chancellor. Enthusiastic foreign observers named him one of the most brilliant modern politicians of Germany.
However Kohl's plans about on passing the post of the chancellor to Schauble did not come true. In autumn of 1998 CDU/CSU union lost parliamentary elections and Gerhard Schroeder became the chancellor. Schauble became the chairman of the party, having reserved the post of the leader of its parliamentary faction. His position in the party seemed unshakable as never before. However, two years later, in 2000, financial scandal around multi-million donations to the CDU/CSU from the weapon dealer Karlheinz Schreiber burst (scandal was named "CDU-Spendenaffare" or "Schwarzgeldaffare".) The central figure of the trials was Helmut Kohl. Schauble tried to protect his old friend and patron, and was accused of false testimony. He had to refuse the leadership of the party. However, as it appeared, people in CDU, and in Germany in general understood the true reasons of Schauble's behavior, having appreciated his fidelity to Kohl, and soon forgave him. In October, 2002, he again managed to return to the party's Olympus. He became the vice-President of oppositional CDU/CSU faction in the Bundestag on questions of foreign policy, security and European integration. In March, 2004 the party leadership nominated him for the post of the president of federal republic, however, Horst Kohler became the winner. Despite this Schauble still remains to be the one of the most popular political figures in Germany.
Related items:
The Curator of Germany's Secret Services Will Shape his Country's Foreign Policy (14.10.2005)
Otto Georg Schily: A Rebel That Became a Minister (12.10.2005)
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