First event of the Kohl Foundation: Angela Merkel and Friedrich Merz pay tribute to the former chancellor

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Angela Merkel and Friedrich Merz at the opening event of the Kohl Foundation: Developing »The Story of Helmut Kohl« further

Photo: Political Moments / IMAGO

At the first event of the Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl Foundation, CDU leader Friedrich Merz recognized the formative role of the former Federal Chancellor in German and European unification.

In 1989/1990, Helmut Kohl (CDU) "first understood and then grasped the world-historical changes of his time earlier than others," said Merz on Tuesday evening in Berlin.

With Russia's attack on Ukraine, the peaceful, free and democratic Europe that Kohl played a major role in building is "more seriously threatened than ever in its history."

In the face of war, Merz made clear the task of assuming leadership in Europe.

»Not leadership in the sense of dominance and paternalism, but leadership in the sense of responsibility«.

The CDU leader called on the new foundation to continue developing and thinking about "the story of Helmut Kohl".

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) emphasized "three principles of political statecraft" that would have distinguished Kohl: "the importance of the personal in politics, the unconditional will to shape things and thinking in historical contexts".

This is also worth considering in the current situation, she made it clear.

She believes that today Kohl would "do everything to protect and restore the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine."

At the same time, he never lost sight of “the day after” when it came to questions of this magnitude.

Applied to today, Kohl would "always also think about the currently unthinkable, almost unimaginable - namely how something like relations with and with Russia can be developed again," Merkel said.

"Of course, he would never tackle both in a German solo effort."

Maike Kohl-Richter sees postmortem rights violated

On the occasion of the event, Kohl's widow, Maike Kohl-Richter, once again took a fundamental stand against the state foundation.

This violated Kohl's postmortem rights, she explained in a letter published on the Internet to the chairman of the board of trustees, former Union faction leader Volker Kauder.

It violates the rules and customs applicable to all other state chancellor foundations, according to which these "were always established with the consent and consent of the person concerned in the person of the respective heirs".

In the letter, Kohl-Richter calls for the work of the foundation associated with Kohl's name to be "ceased or the foundation's name changed."

She would regret it if she implemented her announcement “and also had to file a lawsuit against this foundation”.

sol/dpa