Berlin (dpa) – Germany has reacted with great sadness to the death of former Federal President Horst Köhler. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz paid tribute to Köhler’s “lifelong commitment to a fairer world”. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called him “a blessing for our country”. Köhler passed away at the age of 81. He was elected Germany’s head of state on 23 May 2004 and re-elected five years later. Despite being one of the most popular public officials of his time, he resigned on 31 May 2010. An economist by education, Köhler worked in various ministries before becoming Germany’s chief negotiator for the Maastricht Treaty on European Monetary Union, later going on to head the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Africa – a great passion
At the international level Köhler was primarily involved with Africa, both as head of the IMF and as Federal President. He persistently campaigned for a partnership with the continent on an equal footing. One role he took up after resigning as Federal President was to become UN Special Envoy for the Western Sahara conflict. Steinmeier also emphasised Köhler’s commitment to fair dealings with Africa – “the continent which he was so passionate about and which he knew so well”. Köhler firmly believed that Europe should abandon its colonial mindset and treat African countries as equal partners, said Steinmeier. “In that sense he was way ahead of his time.”
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