Helmut Kohl

Helmut Kohl (Ludwigshafen, 1930 -). Coming from a family of middle-class of western Germany, Kohl studied and Political Sciences in the University of .

Political beginning

Just by 15 years, when finishing was integrated in youths of just founded Christina Democratic Party (CDU). During one larguísima political race in which it followed the wake faithfully of , was occupying put politicians of increasing responsibility in its native Land of , until getting to preside over the regional government (). Of it jumped there to the national policy guaranteed by its good management and one became president of the CDU in . Although its party obtained good results in the following elections (), the coalition between liberal Social Democrats and allowed that the power followed into the hands of Helmut Schmidt, being left Kohl like leader of the opposition in the federal Parliament of Bonn. In the following electoral call, in 1980, one was forced to yield the democristiana candidacy to the Chancellery in favor of Franz Joseph Strauss, that was defeated by an ample margin.

Ascent to Chancellor

Kohl continued exerting the leadership of the opposition until, in , the liberal ones were unmarked of the Social-Democratic majority that supported the government; a liberal and Christian Democrat motion of censorship of moved to Schmidt and turned to Kohl in chancellor of the German Federal Republic. I even hold this position when it was defeated by , breaking the record of political longevity that showed ; for it had to gain four successive general elections: those of and in western Germany and those of and already in reunified Germany.

Legacy

The main profit of Kohl can consider the reunification of the two zones in which it had been divided Germany at the end of World War II: capably taking advantage of the political opening promoted by in the socialist block and the consequent collapse of the communist regime of Eastern Germany (RDA) in , Kohl impelled the electoral triumph of its Christian Democrat partners of the East and a fast reunification of the country by Eastern the route to integrate to the Lander in the German Federal Republic, before limited the western part (); in spite of the enthusiasm that provoked initially the unexpected profit of that objective long wished by the the two population of Alemanias, the form in which it was made the unification has had social, economic and political costs very high, making increase unemployment, the inequality and the xenophobia in the country.

By the others, in the management of Kohl it is possible to emphasize the reinforcing of French-German axis that in cooperation with François Mitterrand it deepened the integration and extension of the European Community ( (UE) from ); with an economic policy become attached to ortodoxia liberal has increased the protagonism of Germany like economic motor of Europe and axis of his announced monetary unification; loyal to the fundamental military-political commitment with (it initiated his management obtaining which the Parliament approved the unfolding in German territory of the American missiles of midrange), Kohl knew, nevertheless, to increase the independence and the international protagonism of Germany, making profitable his economic success and its weight in the European institutions to increase his presence anywhere in the world, specially in Eastern Europe and Balcanes. Les bas demás de Por, pragmático du como un de siempre de mostró de Se de Kohl, improvisación de La de Para. de hábil, transacción de La du negociación y de La, pero también le fiel des ideológicos de principios d'un sus, visión trompeur de futuro de del Estado y de sentido.

It was replaced in the presidency of CDU by Angela Merkel.

To see:

• Key personages of the European Union

Source: Partially extracted of Biografiasyvidas, respecting his conditions