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Helmut Kohl, a Giant of the Post-War Era*

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Helmut Kohl, a Giant of the Post-War Era* DOI: 10.1515/tfd-2017-0025 THE FEDERALIST DEBATE Year XXX, N° 3, November 2017 Comments Helmut Kohl, a Giant of the Post-War Era* Jean-Claude Juncker Today we are saying goodbye to the German the same coin, as he, and Adenauer before and European Statesman, Helmut Kohl. And him, always used to say. I am saying goodbye to a true friend who He made Adenauer’s maxim his own. And he guided me with affection over the years and put it into practice again and again through the decades. I am not speaking now as his thoughts and actions. President of the Commission, but as a friend There are many examples of this. who became President of the Commission. In The fall of the Berlin Wall was greeted with Helmut Kohl, a giant of the post-war era joy throughout Europe and the world. But leaves us; He made it into th ehistory books German reunification – in which he always even while he was still alive – and in those uncompromisingly believed – encountered history books he will forever remain. He was resistance in parts of Europe, and indeed someone who became the continental sometimes outright rejection. monument before which German and Helmut Kohl promoted German reunification European wreaths are laid, and indeed must in many patient conversations. He was able be laid. to do so successfully because his reputation, It was his wish to say goodbye here in which had grown over many years, allowed Strasbourg, this Franco-German, European him to give credible assurances that he border city that was close to his heart. This was striving for a European Germany and wish had to be granted. Today’s memorial not a German Europe. He wanted German service is not ‘not-German’, it is European, reunification with all his might, and outside and thus it is also German. We begin this day Germany he was able to convince others of in Strasbourg and conclude it this evening in the historically correct path. Speyer, in Speyer cathedral, with which he He was able to seize the mantle of God as it had a life-long connection. drifted through history for a brief moment. Helmut Kohl was a German patriot. But he Not everyone in Germany and sadly not was also a European patriot. He was someone everyone in Europe sensed this movement of who brought together and reconciled things the mantle of God immediately. But he did. and people. A German and European Patriot, He sensed that German unity was within because for him there was no contradiction reach. He rightly judged and used the between that which is German, and the opportunity. Others would have failed in this European, that has to be. The French epoch-making task. You could sense that this philosopher Blaise Pascal said that he liked was a man of vision. things that go together: J’aime les choses qui vont ensemble. For Helmut Kohl, German and Helmut Kohl, with the German in view and European unity went together. Two sides of 7 DOI: 10.1515/tfd-2017-0025 THE FEDERALIST DEBATE Year XXX, N° 3, November 2017 Comments thinking ahead to the European, always also Malta. During lunch, Helmut Kohl asked for looked towards eastern and central Europe. permission to speak – which was unusual, Not only towards Poland, but particularly because he usually just took the floor. He towards Poland. He was not responsible for asked to speak during lunch and said, the crimes of the Nazis in Poland. But he choking back the tears, that that day, on which was very much conscious of the historical accession negotiations began, was one of the responsibility that weighed very heavily on finest moments of his life. That he, as German Germany. Just like Willy Brandt, with whom Federal Chancellor, was able to witness that he became very close at the end of Brandt’s historic integration of Europe – after all the life. Helmut Kohl and Willy Brandt: Two harm, as he said, that Germany had inflicted great men of our times. on Europe. Then he went quiet, internally at For Kohl, enlargement to the east and the peace, and cried for many minutes. He was centre of the continent without Poland was not the only one. No one was ashamed of their simply inconceivable. This should certainly tears. Europe at its best! not be forgotten. He was also the main driving force, together Helmut Kohl was not only the architect of with my friend, Theo Waigel, when it came German unity. He contributed to the euro. fundamentally – more than others – to True: He understood how to represent reconciling European history and European German interests ferociously. He pushed geography. He was one of those who through the independence of the European brought an end to the separation of East and Central Bank, to be enshrined in the Treaty, in West decreed at Yalta. Eastern and central a friendly and then increasingly insistent way, Europe – and southern Europe incidentally against all resistance. He made it a condition – have much to thank Helmut Kohl for. of his agreement to the euro. Today we have to remember that. Without Helmut Kohl there would be no euro. On top of that, he was able to develop relations In his eyes, monetary union made European with Israel with intelligence and passion. He unification irreversible. For him, the euro was was a great friend of Israel. He also directed always European peace policy by other means. his attention wisely towards relations with And another thing that Helmut Kohl stood for: the former Soviet Union and present-day He respected all the Member States of the Russia. The historian and Chancellor knew European Union equally. Large and above all about the breadth and depth of Russia. But at smaller Member States felt that he understood the same time he was a committed and active them and with him they knew that their supporter of transatlantic relations. interests were in good hands. Following in the footsteps of Helmut One last thing. When negotiations were close Schmidt, he implemented the NATO twin- to collapsing – as often happens in Europe – he track decision, against the spirit of the times. led us on to the European path and did not let Maike, my friends, I am probably the only us get lost in our exclusively national side person in this room who saw Helmut Kohl streets. cry during a meeting. It was on 13 December Lastly, Helmut Kohl was the man who 1997. On that day, the European Council, continued the work of Franco-German under my chairmanship in Luxembourg, reconciliation, ardently carrying on the work decided to enlarge the European Union to of de Gaulle and Adenauer. Although he did eastern and central Europe and to Cyprus and not speak French, he knew all about 8 DOI: 10.1515/tfd-2017-0025 THE FEDERALIST DEBATE Year XXX, N° 3, November 2017 France, its history, its heartland, its regions, patriotism experienced with others. in particular Alsace, which he visited often Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany and and loved with all his heart. And he also Europe pay tribute to the impressive life’s knew by heart the establishments serving work of Helmut Kohl. We do so in gratitude, good Alsatian cuisine, of which there are indeed in awe. He has had an extremely many. History will preserve an image that full life. Some of the things that befell him, says everything about Kohl and his intimate he will have forgotten by now. But many relationship with France. The day in Verdun of them he will now still fondly recall. He when Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand knows – as we too know – that he made held hands, they sealed the fraternal bond Europe a better place. between France and Germany forever. The My dear Helmut, fact that we are saying goodbye to him here I think you are now in heaven. We would in Strasbourg, the seat of the European rather you were here. Promise me that in Parliament, of which he was a constant heaven you will not immediately found a friend, a few hundred metres from the Rhine, local branch of the CDU. You have done is a dramatic, but also symbolic gesture of enough for your party, your country and for Europe. This beautiful city of Strasbourg, for our common Europe. him THE capital of Europe, as the seat of the Many thanks, Helmut. Merci, obrigado, parliament representing the peoples of спасибо, dank u wel, dziękuję, mille grazie, Europe, is today honouring the memory of muchas gracias, thank you. Helmut Kohl, the European. Rest in peace, Federal Chancellor and dear Yes, Helmut was a German and a European friend. After a rich and full life, you have patriot. For him, patriotism was never one earned your rest. patriotism versus another, but rather a Eternal rest. * Speech delivered by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the European Ceremony of Honour for former Chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl and Honorary Citizen of Europe, Strasbourg, 1 July 2017. 9 .
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