German Chancellor Helmut Kohl - A Lifetime of Achievement

Online, January 23, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Chancellor Kohl was the first Chancellor of the reunified Germany and is often credited with the successful reunification of East and West Germany. As member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a conservative political party, Chancellor Helmut Kohl first served as Chancellor of West Germany from 1982 to 1990, and then was appointed Chancellor of the reunited Germany from 1990 to 1998. Along with former French President François Mitterrand, Kohl is also considered one of the key architects of the Maastricht Treaty of 1992, which acted as the foundation for the European Union.

A unified Germany

With the fall of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in 1989, Helmut Kohl became a leading advocate of the integration of German Democratic Republic into the Federal Republic of Germany. The Berlin Wall came down on November 10, 1989 and Kohl, who was the Chancellor of West Germany at the time, expressed his vision for a united Germany to the public. His policies were very popular and in 1990 Kohl became the first chancellor of a unified Germany.

Kohl's policies at the time of the European Union formation

The European Union, an economic and political union of now 27 member states, was officially created on November 1, 1993. United Germany had an especially prominent role in the formation and development of the EU mainly because of its size and economic stature. Believing that the EU would strengthen Germany's economic interests, Kohl's policies encouraged unification of economic systems, labor and free trade across borders. Through Kohl's leadership and active involvement in the EU, access to industrial goods from Central and Eastern European countries were open to the rest of Europe.

An active supporter of the next generation of business leaders

Celebrating his 80th birthday in 2010, former Chancellor Helmut Kohl looks to Germany's next generation of spirited entrepreneurs to lead the country forward. "Eighteen-, nineteen-year olds who don't count on their pensions, but follow their dreams, take risks and go out in the world", says Kohl when asked of his attitude towards young entrepreneurs. So strong is his belief in future generations of business professionals that during an official state visit to China, Japan, Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia and Russia he brought with him a young business savant by the name of Lars Windhorst who managed to create a thriving career in the computer industry before his 20th birthday.

Recognition for his work

Chancellor Kohl's contribution to a unified European economy was recognized through several awards. In 1996 he won the "Prince of Asturias" Award for International Cooperation, and in 1998 he was named "Honorary Citizen of Europe" by the European heads of state or government. The accolade was bestowed upon Kohl for his "extraordinary work for European integration and cooperation".