synonymCole(Former German Prime Minister) Generally referring to Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl (full name: Helmut Joseph Michael Kohl, Helmut Josef Michael Kohl, April 3, 1930 June 16, 2017), born inGermanyLudwigshafen, formerGerman Christian Democratic Unionchairman of a party[2], Chancellor of the German Federal Government[3]。
In 1947, Helmut Kohl became a member of the German Christian Democratic Union.[3]In 1959, he was elected as a member of the Parliament of Rhineland Pfalz State.In 1969, he was elected governor of the state.In 1973, he was elected chairman of the CDU Federation.On October 11, 1982, defeated the opponent by means of a vote of no confidenceHelmut Schmidt Become Prime Minister.In the 1990 general election of the federal parliament, the CDU won a resounding victory and was elected for the third timeGerman Chancellor。On January 17, 1991, he formed the first cabinet after the general election of Germany and took officeGerman ChancellorAnd became the first premier of unified Germany.At the beginning of 2000, because of the party's donation scandal, he gave up the position of honorary chairman of the CDU.[16]On June 16, 2017, he died at home at the age of 87.[1]
Helmut Kohl focused on the reform of the welfare system in the internal affairs and established a complete social security system in Germany;Diplomatically, friendship with China has promoted economic and cultural exchanges between China and Germany.[23]During his administration, he witnessed the historic event of German reunification and also pushed forward the process of European monetary integration.[1]
Helmut Cole (hereinafter referred to as Cole) was born on April 3, 1930GermanyOfLudwigshafen。staythe Second World WarNear the end, although Cole joined the volunteer air defense organization of the Air Force, he never took part in the battle.His childhood was almostLudwigshafen am Rhein Spent.He went to the Max Planck High School of Arts and Sciences after attending primary school there.[24]
In 1947, Cole was in his hometownLudwigshafenThe German Youth Alliance was established.[7]
In 1950, Cole came to Frankfurt to study law.[24]
In 1951, Cole transferred toHeidelberg Universitystudyhistory、social sciences。[24]He obtained the doctor's degree of philosophy by virtue of his thesis "The Political Development of Pfalz after 1945, the Parties Produced".Be here soonHeidelberg UniversityAssistant work at Alfred Weber Research Institute.Then he joined the management of Ludwigshafen Iron and Steel Foundry as an assistant.[24]
Step into the political arena
In 1953, Cole became a member of the Economic, Industrial and Commercial Association of the CDU in Rhineland Pfalz.[22]
In 1954, Cole served as the acting chairman of the Rhineland Pfalz Youth League.[22]
In 1955, Cole became a senior member of the CDU in Rhineland Pfalz.[22]
In 1959, Cole served as the chairman of the CDU in Ludwigshafen and joined the Chemical Industry Association of Rhineland Pfalz Saar.[22]
In October 1960, Kohl was elected as the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) parliamentary group of Ludwigshafen City Council.[22]
In 1963, Cole was elected as the chairman of the party group of the Parliament of Rhineland Pfalz State.[22]
In 1966, Cole was elected chairman of the Rhineland Pfalsky Democratic League.Later, he was identified as the successor of Governor Peter Altmeier.But after the state electionsPeter AltmeierWas re elected governor.In order to make room for improvement, Cole used his position in the party of Laifa to deprive the old governor of the right to speak at home, while he used the image of a reformist to demand that old habits and old mechanisms be abandoned to win the support of young people.Finally, Kohl defeated Altmeier in 1969 and became the youngest governor of West Germany at that time.[7]
On May 19, 1969, Cole took office as Governor of Rhineland Pfalz.After serving as governor for one year, Cole was elected as the vice chairman of the Christian Democratic Union.[24]
Party leader career
In 1971, Cole began to run for the chairman of the CDU, but lostRaine Basil。[22]
On June 12, 1973Christian Democratic UnionAt the Bonn Special Representative Conference, Cole was officially elected as the chairman of the Alliance, becoming the youngest chairman at that time.[24]
In 1976, in the federal election, Kurt Bidenkopf, the General Secretary of the Christian Democratic Union, nominated Kohl as the candidate for Prime Minister of the Alliance PartySocial Democratic PartypeopleSchmidtCompete for the Prime Minister.Cole formulated campaign strategy and campaign slogans: "Love the motherland" and "Replace socialism with freedom".Although Cole's election was unsuccessful, it increased his prestige in the Christian Democratic Union.But after losing the election,Christian Social UnionDecided to cancel the alliance policy with the CDU, and Cole objected to the chairman of the CDUFranz Josef Strauss Carry out this measure.At the end of 1976, Cole resigned as governor of Rhineland Pfalz State.[24]
In March 1977, Cole was elected president of the Christian Democratic Union.[24]
In 1980, in the general election of the Federal Republic of Germany, Cole did not recommend Christian Social Union President Strauss as the candidate of the Union Party for prime minister, but Cole remained the Union PartyParliamentary party groupchairman.After the general election, the parliamentary party group meeting of the Alliance Party unanimously elected Cole as the chairman of the parliamentary party group, formulated the basic program of the Alliance Party, and defined the work direction.[24]
Curve ascent
In 1982, the social freedom alliance split due to differences in economic policies, and Cole obtained the opportunity to intervene.[7]On September 17, the Liberal Democratic Party split with the Schmidt government due to a new liberalism plan draft within the Liberal Democratic Party, and formed a new alliance with the Christian Union on September 20.[25]On October 1, the three parties jointly launched a no confidence motion in the Federal Parliament to impeach Schmidt and nominate Cole as the Federal Prime Minister.[7]Since the election of Cole as Prime Minister was not the product of the formal election of the Federal Parliament, Cole's assumption of office triggered the joint condemnation of the left-wing media.In order to calm the public opinion, Cole used the parliamentary procedure to completely legalize his identity as the prime minister of the government: he expected the representatives of the new government coalition to pass the 1983 Federal Budget at the meeting on October 16, 1982, so he arranged to vote on his confidence vote on the second day after the budget was passed.After the opposition boycotted the trust caseKarl Carstens It was decided to dissolve the Federal Parliament in January 1983 and hold a federal general election on March 6.The coalition led by Cole won the majority of seats in the federal parliament in the new general election.[7]
Four Prime Ministers
On October 1, 1982, Kohl was sworn in as Prime Minister in the lower house of the Federal Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany.[22]In the first year of his term of office as Prime Minister, Cole removed all obstacles and resolutely implemented the NATO Innovation Resolution determined by the Schmidt Government.[7]
On March 11, 1987, the Bundestag of the Federal Republic of Germany re elected Kohl as the Federal Prime Minister, and he formed the center right coalition government.On March 12, Kohl presided over the oath of the cabinet, and the second Kohl cabinet has been in power since then.On March 18, Cole released his second policy platform "Protecting the Universe and Winning the Future" in the Federal Parliament.[25]
On December 2, 1990, Germany held its first all German general election after the reunification on October 3, and in the 1990 federal parliamentary election, the CDU under Kohl won a resounding victory, defeating the then SPD candidate, the governor of SaarlandOskar Lafontaine This is his third election as German Prime Minister.[22]
On January 17, 1991, Kohl formed the first cabinet after the general election of Germany and became the Prime Minister.[22]
In 1994, after the general election of the federal parliament, Cole was elected as the federal prime minister again by a narrow margin, this time he defeated the SPD candidate who was then the governor of Rhine Pfalz StateRudolf Scharping 。[25]
Retirement life
In 1998, the German Social Democratic Party won an overwhelming victory in the general election.With the Social Democratic Party winning the general election, the then governor of Lower SaxonyGerhard SchroederElected as the new Federal Prime Minister.On October 26, the President of the FederationRoman Herzog Remove Cole from his post as Prime Minister.On October 27, Gerhard Schroeder took over the post of Prime Minister of Kohl.[15]
On May 5, 2010, German officials were in Kohl's hometownLudwigshafenA ceremony was held to celebrate Cole's 80th birthday. Nearly 800 people from all walks of life, including then German Federal President Koehler and Chancellor Merkel, attended the celebration.[16-17]
Cole died on June 17, 2017 at the age of 87.[1]
Measures for politics
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political phase
Local governance
Cole was determined to reform when he took office as Governor of Rhineland Pfalz and became mature politically.He approached the masses, set an example, and implemented the governor's regular open reception day to receive visitors in person.In 1972, he implemented the "citizen representative system", followed Sweden, and set up a special agency to hire citizen representatives to mediate disputes.In 1974, he re divided the administrative regions of the state, so that the plans of the federal government could be quickly implemented everywhere.At the same time, Cole appointed Holkenbrink as Minister of Economy to assist him in promoting economic reform.Cole focuses on infrastructure construction, widening and building new roads, formulating regional structural policies, providing financial support to poor areas, creating new jobs, and changing the backward appearance of poor areas.The GNP of Rhineland Pfalz State nearly doubled, thus ranking first in the Federal Republic of Germany.Cole also paid great attention to education reform. He revised the education law, decided to cancel missionary schools, and determined Christian comprehensive schools as standard schools.Soon after, it passed the Kindergarten Law and established a normal school and a comprehensive university.[24]
Unify Germany
Kohl and the unification of Germany
the Second World WarAfterGermanyIt was divided into East and West Germany, and the desire for German reunification was buried in Cole's heart.From taking office as governor in 1969 to serving as the chairman of the Alliance Party's parliamentary party group, Kordo publicly stated that "the division of the motherland should be ended as soon as possible".On the issue of German reunification, Kohl has always insisted that East and West Germany are "one nation" and "each other is not a foreign country", and advocated the realization of German reunification through self-determination on the premise of European reunification.At the end of 1989,Eastern European upheavalEspecially when the situation in East Germany is getting worse and worseBerlin WallWhen it collapsed on November 9, 1989, Helmut Kohl put forward the Ten Point Plan to break up Germany and Europe, which were currently in division, at the Federal Parliament in November 1989 without consulting with any member of the alliance and the Western allies in advance.This move brings the idea of the unification of Germany and Germany into the practical operation stage.In order to remove external resistance to the reunification of Germany and Germany, Cole, on the one hand, used and encouraged the people of East Germany to demand reunification, on the other hand, actively mediated in Britain, France, the United States and the Soviet Union to win their consent to German reunification.[22]
In the process of the general election of Democratic Germany on March 18, 1990, Kohl first announced the establishment of the "German Unification Cabinet Committee" chaired by Kohl on March 1, and then set up the "Parliamentary Unification Committee" composed of the leaders of the parliamentary groups of all parties to listen to the views of all parties. In fact, it is to carry out a unified offensive against Democratic Germany in an all-round way.More importantly, from the early February 1990 to the mid March 1990 general election in Democratic Germany, Kohl entered the Democratic Germany six times to make speeches, and the "German Union" supporting Democratic Germany won the general election, which finally achieved Kohl's wish.Since then, the new government of Democratic Germany has taken unification as its sole goal in accordance with the intention of the Kohl government, and has moved towards unification since its birth.[22]
On the evening of October 2, 1990, Kohl delivered a televised speech to the people of Germany and Germany, "In a few hours, a dream will become a reality. After 40 years of painful division, Germany, our motherland will be reunified. For me, this is one of the happiest moments in my life".The next day, Germany and Germany were unified.[10]
Economic aspects
Rectify the domestic economy
At the beginning of taking officeinflationAndrecessionCole pointed out that the government will put the rectification of the national budget first, and the economic measures reached will be listed at the end of October 1982cabinetThe proposed additional budget.Cole called on the German people not to wait for national relief, not to live on others, but to rely on the traditional virtues of thrift, courage, self-reliance and innovation to restore the prosperity of the country.He promoted the economic revitalization plan, stimulated private and public investment, promoted regional economic development, created jobs, improved the agricultural structure, reduced the tax burden of the middle class, increased value-added tax and promoted housing construction.[22]
In the economic life of the first term of office, facing the serious economic stagnation of the former Schmidt governmentdeep in debtWe should maintain currency stability, implement budget balance, control currency growth and curb price inflation.Schmidt government made up the fiscal deficit by borrowing, and the national debt from 1977 to 1981 was 316.9 millionmarkSharply increased to 695.6 millionmark。After the Kohl government came to power, it took urgent measures to reduce the fiscal deficit.The fiscal revenue and expenditure situation has gradually improved, providing favorable conditions for stabilizing prices.Cole's other measure is to control the issue of currency and tighten monetary policy.After Kohl came to power, he abandoned the inflation policy of Schmidt government and strictly controlled the growth of currency.The monetary growth of the Federal Bank was about 6% in 1982, 4-6% in 1983, 4-5% in 1984, and 3-5% in 1985-1986.The index of additional issuance of currency has been gradually reduced.The Federal Bank adjusts the leverage of monetary policies such as interest rates, so that the growth rate of money can not only take into account the stability of prices, but also meet the needs of external economic balance and moderate economic growth.[31]
Balance of international payments
Cole attaches great importance to foreign economic and trade work.Before Cole came to power, he was at the stage of serious imbalance in the balance of international payments. From 1979 to 1981, the balance of international payments was three consecutive yearsDeficitIn the first three quarters of 1982, there were still 36.3 billion marksDeficit。In the 1980s, the worldDeveloped capitalist countriesanddeveloping countryThe economy of,world tradeThe quantity increases rapidly.In addition, under the situation of the devaluation of the US dollar after the spring of 1985 and the decline of world oil prices since the 1980s, the Kohl government usedGermanyThe price of export commodities rose, while the international marketraw materialandprimary productsThe favorable conditions for price decline further expand exports and increase foreign tradesurplus, soGermanyIn the fourth quarter of 1982, it achieved a total of 12293 million markssurplus, and the following yearssurplus。[31]
While the current account surplus of the balance of payments is gradually expanding, the capital outflow of the Federal Republic of Germany is also increasing year by year.4433 million yuan in 1982mark, 16.251 billion in 1983mark, increased to 29.190 billion in 1984mark。This is a new situation in the balance of payments of the Federal Republic of Germany. Therefore, Cole adjusted the exchange rate against the US dollar in time to stabilize the international value of the mark.Since 1973, the Mark has implemented the floating exchange rate system against the US dollar. From 1972 to 1980, the exchange rate of the Mark against the US dollar tended to rise.From 1980 to 1985, the exchange rate of the mark against the US dollar tended to decline in the spring.Cole paid attention to controlling the flow of capital from the Federal Republic of Germany to the United States, and the Federal Bank announced the abolition of interest tax in October 1984.In 1984, the discount rate was raised from 4% to 4.5% to reduce the interest rate gap between the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States.While adjusting the exchange rate of the mark against the US dollar by a large margin, we still pay attention to maintaining the stability of the international value of the mark.[31]
European Economic Integration
Another great achievement of Cole's administration is to promoteEuropean integration。During his tenure as Prime Minister of Germany, Cole stressed many times thatEuropean integrationThe importance of.He said: "Only a truly unified Europe can guarantee peace, freedom and wealth for our future generations."[22]"In the long run, to achieve a unified large market within EuropeFederal GermanyEconomic development is as important as the decision to adopt the New Mark and the pursuit of the social market economy system in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China. "Cole also stressed that the establishment of a unified large market within Europe is only an "intermediate station" on the road to the European Union, so we must also move forward towards the goal of the European Monetary Union.In order to establish a unified big market within Europe, Cole not only argued in many ways, but also tried to practice.Only in 1988, Cole, in order to achieve the grand goal of building a unified market within Europe by the end of 1992, frequently worked with the people concerned in the capitals of the European Community countries for multi-party coordination and consultation, and urged the countries concerned to bridge differences or seek common ground while reserving differences.Sometimes, Kohl even made financial sacrifices in spite of the domestic opposition of the Federal Republic of Germany, so that the agreement was reached and the pace of European integration was accelerated.[31]
On January 6, 1988, the Federal Republic of GermanyEuropean CommunityPresident of the Council.During this period, the European Community made great achievements under the auspices and efforts of Cole.From February 11 to 12, 1988, under the auspices of the Federal Republic of Germany, the summit meeting of the 12 countries of the European Community was held in Brussels.The 12 heads of state and government resolved to seek to establish the complex financial expenditure of the Community on a solid and reasonable basis, thus solving a key problem.On June 27 and 28, 1988, at the high-level meeting of the Executive Chairman of the Council held in Hanover, another important step was taken towards the common internal market.Cole stressed the importance of a single European currency.He said that only by creating a common currency and a European Central Bank in Europe can European political union be realized.In addition, on June 13, 1988, the Council of Ministers of Finance of the European Community also reached an agreement on the liberalization of capital circulation in 1990. Such a unified big market within the European Community has removed non-tariff barriers of all countries, removed all artificial barriers on the free circulation of products, personnel, funds, services and other roads, and connected several scattered markets.[31]
In December 1991,European UnionThe heads of the former 12 member states of the European CommunityNetherlandsMaastrichtPassed《European Union Treaty》。The treaty requires thatEuropean UnionRealize free capital flow in the region, create a unified European market, and issue a unified currency.GermanyAsEuropean integrationOfengineFirst, its attitude is crucial to the future of a unified currency.The German currency mark was once one of the hard currencies second only to the US dollar, which also represented Germany's strength and status.At that time, most people in Germany were against the euro.They are reluctant to give up the mark and lack confidence in the future of the euro. At the same time, they are worried that Germany will pay a heavy economic and social cost if it changes its currency.But Cole firmly supports the euro and vigorously promotes its benefits.At the insistence of the ruling party, some political parties previously opposed to the euro also joined the camp of supporting the euro.In the end, the German Federal Parliament overwhelmingly approved the proposal for Germany to join the economic and monetary union.[22]
In 1985, Mrs. Thatcher, Cole and Reagan took a group photo at the World Economic Forum in Bonn[10]
Diplomatic aspects
For the United States
Cole insistsFederal GermanyAn alliance with the Western world.He stressed that joining NATO andU.S.AOur friendship is the cornerstone of Germany's foreign policy and security policy.The government is faithful to the Western Union in foreign policy, strengthens the friendship with the United States, realizes real detente with the Soviet Union, and realizes the union of Europe.[22]But Cole also maintained the independence of Germany's foreign policy and had some disputes and differences with the United States.[31]
For Europe
In 1987, Cole was re electedGerman ChancellorAfter that, it further strengthened the cooperation withFranceCooperation.Leaders of the two countries frequently exchange visits, diplomatic exchanges are very active, cooperation between the two countries is comprehensively promoted, and the special relationship between Germany and France has attracted the attention of British Prime MinisterMrs. ThatcherIncluding the suspicion of the politicians of some European allies.It has been repeatedly stressed that the political, economic and military relations between Bonn and Paris are not exclusive.He said that the cooperation between Germany and France is "the engine to promote European unity".The two countries have repeatedly said to their allies that they do not intend to establish an "axis" or "guiding body" to dominate European policies. On the contrary, they intend to establish a solid defense "pillar" in Europe to strengthen the overall partnership between the two sides of the Atlantic.[31]
To the Soviet Union
With regard to the relations between the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, Kohl stressed that the Federal Government of Germany should continue to make efforts to achieve real detente, dialogue and cooperation on the basis of the treaties concluded and the final documents of the OSCE.The government pays close attention to and will try its best to maintain and further develop relations with the Soviet Union, in which economic relations will play an important role.At the same time, the federal government will not ignore the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Soviet military issues.[22]
Cole visited on February 9, 1990Soviet UnionAnd persuaded the Soviet Union to change its "stubborn position" on the issue of German reunification, to obtain the commitment that the way, time, speed and conditions of German reunification should be decided by the Germans themselves, and finally persuaded Gorbachev to "finally open the road to German reunification".On July 15 and 16, Cole, Foreign Ministergenscher He visited the Soviet Union with Finance Minister Weiger and his delegation.Hold a meeting between the heads of the two countries.On the 15th, after a round of talks with Gorbachev in Moscow, Kohl and Gorbachev took a special plane to Leznowski, Gorbachev's hometown in the North Caucasus.After several hours of tense talks, the two sides reached consensus on a series of issues, such as the military and political status of Germany after reunification, the ceiling of German armed forces, and not extending NATO's military structure to Democratic Germany, thus creating conditions for breakthrough progress in German reunification.[22]
Gorbachev and Kohl
Kohl and Gorbachev reached an eight point agreement: First, the territory of Germany after reunification includes Federal Germany, Democratic Germany and Berlin;2、 Once reunification is achieved, the responsibilities and rights of the four major countries to Germany since the end of the Second World War will cease.After reunification, Germany immediately gained complete and unrestricted sovereignty;3、 A unified Germany can decide which union it will belong to when it fulfills its full sovereignty;4、 Soviet troops stationed in Democratic Germany will withdraw from Germany three to four years after reunification;5、 Before the withdrawal of Soviet troops, NATO institutions did not expand to the territory of today's Democratic Germany.However, the local defense forces of the Bundeswehr can be stationed in Democratic Germany and Berlin after reunification is achieved;6、 During the period when the Soviet army stayed in Democratic Germany, the American, British and French armies continued to stay in West Berlin;7、 Reduce the number of German troops to 370000 within three to four years after the reunification of Germany;Disarmament will begin when the first treaty is negotiated and signed in Vienna;8、 After reunification, Germany will give up the production and possession of nuclear weapons and the production of biological and chemical weapons.[22]
For China
In September 1974, Kohl, who had become the chairman of the CDU, and the then Vice Premier of the State CouncilDeng XiaopingThey held talks.He said: "As a potential superpower, China plays a decisive role in international politics. China's support for the unification of Western Europe and Germany is very important."[19]
Cole has long regarded China as an important force that Germany can rely on on the world stage, believed that China's reform and opening up play an important role in Germany and the world, and worked hard to promote the development of bilateral relations through the development of economic and trade relations.Many of Cole's visits to China during his tenure as Premier also focused on economic and trade themes.[19]In October 1984, Cole paid his first visit to China as Premier.He returned home and said that China and the Federal Republic of Germany have much in common, and stressed China's important position in world politics.Cole's visit has enhanced the economic, trade and people to people and cultural exchanges between the two countries.He witnessedShanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., LtdSigning ceremony of.On October 13, Kohl visited Tongji University and hoped that Tongji University would become a bridge between the two countries.[19][21]
In July 1987, Cole came to China again.Due to the lack of foreign exchange in China at that time, the export of the Federal Republic of Germany to China was greatly restricted.To this end, Kohl has increased the efforts to provide government loans to China to promote the growth of exports to China, and exported trains and power equipment to China.During his visit, Cole and Chinese leaders reached an agreement that the two sides would set up a special expert group.With Cole's efforts, the trade between the two countries grew rapidly to 4.918 billion US dollars in 1988.[19]In the 1990s, Cole regarded China as a country with global significance and vigorously strengthened economic and trade exchanges with China.In November 1993, Cole not only talked with the new leadership of China, but also signed an economic cooperation contract worth US $2.927 billion.[19]In November 1995, Cole visited China for the last time.China Germany relations, especially bilateral economic, trade and technological relations, have grown.[19]
On November 15, 1995, Cole led a delegation to visit Qingdao, Shandong Province
On August 25, 1999, Cole, as the former Prime Minister, visited China again and became the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's CongressLi PengI met him at the Great Hall of the People.Kohl said that Germany China relations have a very good foundation. He believed that with the joint efforts of both sides, the friendly relations between the two countries in the political, economic, social and cultural fields can be continuously strengthened and developed."Although I have left office, I will continue to make every effort to promote Germany China relations."[20]
military phase
Promote US Soviet disarmament
In the 1980s, Cole supported the two military groups, NATO and Warsaw Pact, to carry out disarmament and de stocking.Different from the slogan of "peace building without weapons" put forward by the peace movement, he proposed "peace building with fewer and fewer weapons" to reduce armaments to the lowest possible level on the basis of military balance.Cole pointed out that specific, balanced and verifiable negotiation results should be achieved at the lowest possible level of armaments, so as to achieve and consolidate the necessary balance of power militarily.[22]Cole said that the federal government unreservedly abided by the 1979 NATO dual resolution, which proposed to negotiate on reducing and limiting the nuclear weapon systems of the Soviet Union and the United States.[22]
When he received the diplomatic mission in Bonn on November 19, 1982, Cole expressed great hope for the disarmament talks, especially for the progress of the medium - and long-range nuclear weapons negotiations in Geneva.On April 16, 1983, Kohl said that he was willing to act as a middleman in the US Soviet nuclear negotiations to promote Soviet leadersAndropovTo the President of the United StatesReaganThe latest weapons proposals made responded favourably.He hoped that the Kremlin would act quickly to reduce its nuclear missiles deployed in Europe.On April 15, Kohl and Reagan held a two-hour meeting. After the meeting, he said to reporters, "It is up to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union has a great responsibility to respond constructively to this initiative and clear the way for finding a solution acceptable to both sides."[22]
Strengthen European defense
In 1987, after the United States and the Soviet Union reached an agreement on the reduction of nuclear weapons in Europe, Cole advocated strengthening the cooperation of European countries in defense, especially the cooperation between Germany and France.As a result, the steps of German French defense cooperation were accelerated.On June 19, 1987, Kohl suggested to France that a joint German French army brigade with 5000 men should be established, and the officers of the two countries should take turns to command.This proposal was immediately responded positively by the French official, the French PresidentMitterrandAnd the Prime MinisterChiracAll expressed support.Cole believes that the German French "Joint Brigade" is a symbol of a shared future between the two countries and will contribute to the common defense.In the middle of July, German and French defense ministers held consultations on Kohl's proposal, agreed to accelerate its implementation, and announced two resolutions: ① to set up a "military cooperation mixed group" to study and implement matters related to the establishment of a joint brigade; ②Joint development of new combat helicopters.From September 17 to 24, 1987, the Federal Republic of Germany and France held a joint military exercise, code named "Brave Sparrow", in Baden Wuerttemberg and Bavaria in southern Germany.Subsequently, the two countries announced the establishment of the "Franco German Joint Defence Commission".The task of this committee is to formulate the "common strategy" of the two countries, "the common policy of disarmament and arms control, and the common attitude towards the East."[31]
Deploy medium range missiles
On November 25, 1982, Kohl talked about the deployment of nuclear missiles in the Federal Republic of Germany. He said that medium range nuclear weapons are the most realistic issue in our security policy.Like the previous government, the federal government insists on the two parts of the dual resolution, because it really and strongly hopes that the Geneva negotiations will succeed.He pointed out that if anyone really wants to dismantle the Soviet medium range missile SS-20, and if he is not willing to carry out corresponding arms recovery in Europe, he must support the policy of dual resolution.[22]
From November 21 to 22, 1983, Kohl and the opposition held a 26 hour debate in the Federal Parliament on whether to deploy intermediate range nuclear missiles in the Federal Republic of Germany, and finally passed the resolution on missile deployment by 286 votes to 226.Cole and Foreign Minister Genscher both made statements at the meeting.Cole stressed that the deployment of intermediate range missiles is no longer simply related to arms limitation, but more importantly, it is related to the direction of the Federal Republic of Germany's foreign policy.Cole also reviewed the military situation in recent years, saying: "In the past 20 years, the United States has lost its advantage in strategic nuclear weapons, which has caused incalculable consequences for us Europeans and Germans.In the face of the superiority of the Warsaw Pact in conventional weapons and the threat of the Soviet Union in nuclear weapons, NATO still does not have medium range missiles on the ground, nor does it have the means to maintain deterrence at all levels.In fact, there is no balance of power in Europe. "He accused the Soviet Union of trying to suppress the decision of the Federal Republic of Germany to abandon deployment, and said that he would never yield to threats.By November 23, 1983, the United States willPanxing I missileAnd cruise missiles to Western Europe.[22]
Social aspects
Labour protection legislation
In the 1980s, German labor costs remained high.To cope with Germany's economic difficulties at that time.Cole believes that no one can replace the authority of the law.So as soon as he came to power, he began to improve the law.In order to protect people's employment opportunities and solve the unemployment problem, Cole has promulgated a series of effective laws, mainly including: 1. The Employment Promotion Law, which uses part-time work, has arranged 30000 more jobs;2. The Law on Assisting the Return of 300000 foreign workers has taken some measures to return to their homes, thus increasing employment opportunities for the people of the Federal Republic of Germany;3. The Law on Early Retirement, which enables about 300000 people to retire early, thus increasing employment opportunities for young people;4. The Law on Promoting Employment. After the promulgation of the Law, the new government of the Federal Republic of Germany organized 460000 people to receive various vocational training, more than two-thirds of whom were unemployed youth.[23]
In terms of social assistance, Cole concentrated his funds on those who really need assistance, encouraged them to support them to re-enter professional life, and stipulated that those who refuse to accept job introductions will be forced to reduce social assistance;In the three years after 1982, the growth rate of social assistance should not exceed the growth rate of the net wages of the in-service staff. There should be an appropriate gap between the income of the low wage staff and the income of those who received social assistance. Participation in labor and self-reliance should be encouraged.[23]
Reform the medical insurance system
In terms of the reform of the medical insurance system, Cole started with increasing the self-restraint mechanism of both doctors and patients, reducing excessive expenditure, and worked hard to reduce the demand for capital expenditure.Marked by the Medical Cost Control Law of 1977 and based on the Medical Insurance Reform Law, Kohl started three stages of comprehensive reform in 1988, 1992 and 1996 respectively. The focus of cost control is mainly on the medical sector.First, control the number of contracted doctors entering the medical insurance to deal with the induced expenditure of doctors brought by the supplier's surplus;Secondly, the cost quota of drugs should be formulated. In the same group of drugs, low price prescriptions should be encouraged, the range of drugs and excipients should be specified, the proportion of patients' self payment should be increased, the subsidy cost should be reduced, the hospital financing mechanism should be reformed, and the doctors' remuneration should be reduced by charging according to the budget of the doctors' group and the number of cases treated quarterly;Third, increase the proportion of prevention and rehabilitation;Fourth, the insured can choose the foundation freely to increase competition and improve allocation efficiency, while repeatedly requiring patients to pay surcharges and assume more self responsibility.[23]
personal works
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Cole's Works
On March 4, 2004, Cole launched the first part of his Memoirs, which elaborated on the events from 1930 to the beginning of his first term as Prime Minister.The second part, published on November 3, 2005, concerns the period of administration from 1982 to 1990.The content published on November 16, 2007 was the ruling period until 1994.[5-6]
In November 2014, Cole was in GermanyFrankfurtPublished his new book《Worried about Europe》。Zheng Chunrong, director of the German Institute/European Union Institute of Tongji University, translated the book into Chinese. In September 2015, Tongji University Press published the Chinese translation of the book.[21]
social activities
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In May 1999, Cole and his eldest son Walter Cole jointly invested 30000 euros to establish a "political and strategic consulting company" in their hometown Ludwigshafen.In addition, he also accepted the invitation of Credit Suisse Group to become their adviser on international issues.[14]
Personal life
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family
Hans Kohl (1887-1975), Kohl's father, was born in a farmer's family in Lower Franken. After several years of high school in Groyssenheim near Vilzburg, he left home to work in a mill.After the outbreak of World War I, he was rewarded for his outstanding performance and promoted to second lieutenant.In 1918, he worked as a financial secretary in the Bavarian Finance Bureau, and then served in a Bavarian regiment.[22]
Kohl's mother, Cecilia Schnur (1890-1979), was born in a family of teachers in the Hunsuluk Mountains, and attended a boarding school for girls in Arunburg, Koblenz, for three years.In 1921, he married Hans Cole. Hans followed Cecilia to Ludwigshafen and settled down at his father-in-law's house.She gave birth to her daughter Hildegard in 1922, Walter Cole in 1925 and Helmut Cole in 1930.[22]
After their marriage, Cole had two sons, Walter Cole (born in 1963) and Peter Cole (born in 1965).[22]
At the beginning of 2011, Walter Cole, Cole's son, published his autobiography about his father. In the book, he pointed out that his mother often wanted to commit suicide because of depression in her later years, and emphasized Cole's indifference to the family for many times, which made her finally break off the relationship with his father angrily.He emphasized in the book that "his (Cole) real home is the CDU, and he married not my mother but the party".[26]
health
In the spring and autumn of 2007, Cole underwent two major knee operations in which he was replaced with an artificial joint.When he was at home in the autumn of 2008 after a serious fall accident caused brain trauma, he was still in recovery.Since then, he has used a wheelchair when appearing in public.[16]
marriage
First marriage
Hannah Lolay was born in Berlin in March 1933 in a family of engineers. When she was two years old, her family moved to Leipzig.During the World War II, Hannah Lolay experienced a tragic experience of escape in her childhood.[27]In 1948, 18-year-old middle school student Cole met 15-year-old Hannah Lolay at a dance party in a restaurant in Ludwigshafen.It is said that Cole wrote more than 2000 love letters to Hannah Lolay.Hannah Lolay is an English and French translator. She has been working at BASF since she was 20 years old.In 1960, she married Cole and gave up her job to take care of her family.Hannah Lolay contributed to Cole's progress from state speaker and governor to party chairman and federal prime minister.[29]When Cole was just elected as German Prime Minister, the "Ten Point Program" adopted to solve the problem of "unifying Germany and Germany" was typed out word by word by Hannah Lolay with her typewriter while listening to her husband's dictation.[25]When the "Cole Donation Scandal" broke out in the 1990s, Hannah Lolay always accompanied her husband, which gave Cole great spiritual comfort.On July 5, 2001, Hannah Lolay committed suicide.[28]Cole's office in Berlin announced to the press in the afternoon that Mrs. Cole chose to commit suicide because of her long-term skin disease and no hope of improvement.[29]
Second marriage
From 1994 to 1998, Mike Richter met with German Prime Minister Kohl when he was serving in the Ministry of Economy of the Prime Minister's Office.After Gerhard Schroeder won the general election in 1998, Richter became the economic adviser of CDU.As she once worked as a reporter for the German Economic Weekly, Kohl Richter later served as a leader in the Regional Economic Policy, Urban Construction and Management Division of the German Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology.The two met in 2004, when they spent a holiday in Sri Lanka in the winter of that year to witness the Southeast Asian Century Tsunami. Fortunately, they both escaped the disaster and then decided to stay together.In 2005, the relationship was officially established.On May 8, 2008, Cole married Richter in a small auditorium of Heidelberg University Hospital.After marriage, Mike Richter changed his name to Cole Richter and resigned to take care of Cole.[28]
hobby
Cole speaks with a strongRhineThe local accent in the West Bank only speaks the local language.He has no high requirements for daily life. He likes to eat all kinds of soup and raisin pie, and does not eat poultry. But he likes to eat Beijing Roast Duck and drink high-quality white wine.Kohl is a native of Germany. He doesn't refuse to smoke or drink, doesn't care about dishes, and likes all kinds of thick soups and nut pies.The only taboo is to stay away from birds because of his hometown's eating habits of pork and beef.However, the only taboo was that in 1974, after his first visit to China as governor, he broke the taboo because of his amazing taste of Peking Duck, and since then he has been out of control.In addition, he also particularly appreciates China's high quality liquor, and is more interested in quality famous liquor such as Moutai.He smokes a pipe, likes walking and listening to German classical composersBachI love collecting stones of various shapes, and I like reading biographies andHistorical literature。[7]
Character evaluation
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Germany
Merkel (The eighth German Prime Minister): ① Kohl is a great German and a great European. In fact, Kohl's legacy determines the two most important things in German politics for decades: the reunification of the motherland and European integration.Cole understands that the two are inseparable.[8]② Cole has made outstanding contributions to Germany during his 60 years in politics.People should thank Kohl. Thanks to his efforts, Germany has regained its unity and become a strong and reliable partner of the EU and the world.Not only Germany, but also the whole Europe and the international community should thank Cole for his contribution.With Cole's efforts, Germany has made full preparations for the coming 21st century.[16]
Olaf Scholz (The ninth German Prime Minister): Kohl leads the country to the right path at a critical moment.[8]
Outside Germany
Guterres(Secretary General of the United Nations): Kohl is the longest serving Prime Minister of contemporary Germany. He played an important role in the peaceful reunification of Germany within one year after the fall of the Berlin Wall. He also helped to initiate the historical process of European political and economic integration.[3]
George H.W. Bush (Former President of the United States): Cole is one of the greatest national leaders in post-war Europe and a true friend of freedom.[3]
Juncker(President of the European Commission): Cole has injected life into the building of Europe, not only because he has built a bridge between East and West, but also because he has never stopped drawing a better blueprint for the future of Europe.[3]
Zhivkov(Former First Secretary of the Bulgarian Communist Party): Helmut Kohl, an outstanding politician, is a shining star in the political sky and a figure of prestige not only in his own party, but also in the whole social and political life.He left a deep impression on me. He was an intelligent and cultured politician. He had a very clear understanding of European political life at that time. His speech was concise and frank, and his comments were very clear.[30]
Xi Jinping(President of China): As an outstanding politician, Mr. Kohl has made important contributions to the reunification of Germany and the promotion of European integration. His historical achievements will be remembered by the world.He has always been committed to promoting dialogue and cooperation between China and Germany, China and Europe, making positive contributions to the development of China Germany relations, and giving understanding and support to the Chinese people to achieve the complete reunification of the motherland. The Chinese people will never forget this old friend.[13]
Li Keqiang(Chinese Premier) Mr. Cole is an outstanding leader of Germany, an active promoter of China Germany relations and an old friend of the Chinese people. He has made important contributions to promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and Germany, which we will never forget.[13]
Gu Junli(President of the German Research Society of China): Without a single shot or death, the reunification was completed in less than a year.This is a great historic initiative of German politicians represented by Kohl.Cole, with his wisdom and courage, quickly pushed Germany onto the historic road of reunification![3]
Helmut Kohl
personal honor
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Cole was on the cover of Time magazine (1990)
On October 18, 1993, Cole was awarded the honorary title of honorary professor when he visited Tongji University in Shanghai.[18][21]
On October 24, 1998, at the informal summit of the European Union in Pershach, the European Council awarded the former German Prime Minister Kohl the title of "Honorary European Citizen" to express its gratitude for his great contributions to European construction over the years, such as the establishment of a unified currency in the euro area.[3][9]
Cole has become Germany 80 times in his 16 years of political career《Der Spiegel 》Cover character.[18]He was also named the cover character of Time magazine in 1990.[15]
Anecdotes of characters
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Be satirized
All of the Federal Republic of GermanypoliticianIn China, no one has been satirized and ridiculed as much as Helmut Kohl in the political and non political fields.Among them, the satirical role set up by the German satirical magazine Titanic is the longest. The magazine described the Prime Minister“Yali pear”Like the former French kingLouis Philippe Later, the word "Yali" became the symbol of Cole.The media often aim at his general foreign language level, special figure and his small city background.Kohl's imitators often use his accent with the color of Pufalz. West Germans teased that the historian born prime minister always said "Geschichte" as "Gechichte" when introducing his academic qualifications. Everyone could not understand what his major was, so they had to let him be the prime minister without professional requirements.[7]
Mrs. Thatcher did not fail to satirize Cole, saying that Cole was at best "a politician at the state level".She also recalled that at a meeting held in Cole's hometown, Cole presented her with a traditional pork belly platter.But when in Rome, do as the Romans do, and she is embarrassed not to eat.On the special plane back to England, she was sick to deathCharles PowellComplain: "This guy is so German!"[6]
Compared with the former Prime Minister Schmidt, who loved music and art, Kohl had neither elegant expertise nor various distinguished qualifications.After he came to power, a joke spread in West Germany: Federal Prime Minister Cole crossed the Austrian border with a pop singer and a tennis star, and all three forgot their passports.The customs officer asked them to show something that could prove their identity before they were allowed to pass, so the singer took out his guitar, and the officer let him pass the customs.The player took out his tennis racket and was allowed to pass the customs.Cole saw it and cried out in a hurry: "But I don't know anything!" The official heard it and hurried up to let him go, saying: "You don't know anything? Then you must be Premier Cole."[7]
Keer Beef Fillet
On November 9, 1993, Cole led a delegation to visit Guangzhou to discuss construction with Guangzhou Municipal GovernmentGuangzhou Metro Line 1Matters.Previously, Germany stationed in GuangzhouconsulateOur staff once told Cole that Guangzhou is known as the City of Gastronomy in China, and Panxi Restaurant in the city can enjoy the most authentic Guangzhou cuisine.On the evening of November 9, Cole stopped the dinner arranged for him in a five-star hotel and took a few attendants to Panxi Restaurant by minibus.As Panxi Restaurant arranged a lot of wedding banquet that night, Panxi Restaurant arranged Cole to have dinner in the VIP box for foreign leaders.But Cole was quite dissatisfied with this arrangement: "I don't want to sit in the VIP box, I want to sit with the Chinese." Cole and his entourage went into the Bibo Hall full of diners like ordinary guests. After finding seats, they ordered several Cantonese dishes according to the menu, and told the chef that they wanted to eat a sour dish made of fruit, onion, pepper, beef.So the chefs prepared the sweet and sour "Gulu Beef Fillet" according to the requirements of Prime Minister Kohl. After tasting it, Kohl was full of praise for this dish and happily added another one.After dinner, Cole went to the counter to pay the bill, gave a tip, and wrote down the words "Thank you for your warm reception" on the message book.Since then, many Guangzhou citizens have been interested in this dish made for Colt, and have come to Panxi Restaurant to ask for a taste.[4]Since then, Panxi Restaurant has officially launched this dish and named it "Keer Beef Fillet", which has become popular so far.It is said that after his return, Cole still often visited the canteen of the Chinese Embassy and various Chinese restaurants in Berlin to ease his hunger.[7]
Prominent height
Helmut Kohl, 1.93 meters tall, is the tallest prime minister of the Federal Republic of Germany, weighing more than 120 kilograms.During his visit to China on October 10, 1984, Deng Xiaoping took this opportunity to joke that "it doesn't matter if the sky collapses. I'm a small man, and you big men stand on top of me when the sky collapses".[7]
People Memorial
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In 2017, after the news of Cole's death, politicians in Europe and around the world expressed their condolences.[10]On the day of June 16, the flag of the German Presidential Palace flew at half mastSteinmeier, PremierMerkel They mourned his departure, and Chancellor Merkel also made a speech on this;[11]The EU headquarters in Brussels mourned Cole's flag flying at half mast.President of the European CommissionJunckerPresident of the European CouncilDonald Tusk President of the European ParliamentAntonio Tajani European Union leaders, as well as Belgian Prime Minister Michel, French President Malcolm and other leaders of EU member states, expressed condolences to Cole on social media;[11]On July 1, in Strasbourg, France, the EU held the "EU funeral" for Cole in Strasbourg, France, where the European Parliament is located.[12]
On June 17, 2017, President of ChinaXi JinpingSend condolences to German President Steinmeier and Chancellor Merkel respectively on the death of former German Chancellor Kohl.premier of state councilLi KeqiangSend a message of condolences to German Chancellor Merkel on the unfortunate death of former German Chancellor Kohl, and express deep condolences on Kohl's death on behalf of the Chinese government and in personal name.[13]
On July 1, 2017, the EU held a funeral for Cole[12]
