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Schäuble served in government in various functions, first under former Chancellor Helmut Kohl as minister for special tasks and head of chancellery from 1984 to 1989, and as interior minister from 1989 to 1991, during which time he played a key role in negotiating German reunification. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel appointed him again as interior minister from 2005 to 2009 and as finance minister from 2009 to 2017.
It was in the latter role that Schäuble attained international fame, but also sparked great controversy, becoming the face of the strict austerity measures that the German government imposed on Greece and other southern European countries during the 2010-2015 eurozone crisis.
“In these moments when an opponent dies, it is a time for reflection,” ex- Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos, who served at the height of the crisis, said in an interview with Skai TV.
“I don’t think history will judge him well. He wasn’t just tough. He wanted a united Europe, political union, but only for a few countries. He wanted us and other countries out.”
Schäuble, who was paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair after a mentally ill man shot him during an election campaign rally in 1990, had been known for striving to become as successor to Kohl as chancellor — a dream that was thwarted when Kohl and the CDU were ousted from power in 1998.
His reputation was tarnished by a party donation scandal that engulfed the CDU in 1999 and 2000. He admitted having received a dubious cash donation of 100,000 deutschmarks from an arms dealer, which led to his resignation as party chief in 2000. Merkel rehabilitated him five years later by appointing him minister, stressing her trust in him.