Horst Köhler (German:[ˈhɔʁstˈkøːlɐ]ⓘ; 22 February 1943 – 1 February 2025) was a German politician who served asPresident of Germany from 2004 to 2010. As the candidate of the two Christian Democratic sister parties (theCDU, of which he was a member, and theCSU) and also candidate of the liberalFDP, Köhler waselected to his first five-year term by theFederal Convention on 23 May 2004 and was subsequently inaugurated on 1 July 2004. He wasreelected to a second term on 23 May 2009. Just a year later, on 31 May 2010, he resigned from his office in a controversy over a comment on the role of theGerman Armed Forces in light of a visit to the troops inAfghanistan. During his tenure as president, whose office is mostly concerned with ceremonial matters, Köhler was a highly popular politician, with approval rates above those of both ChancellorGerhard Schröder and later ChancellorAngela Merkel.[1]
On 1 October 1982,Helmut Kohl (CDU) becameChancellor of Germany. He formed theFirst Kohl cabinet. Upon Stoltenberg's recommendation (who wasFederal Finance Minister in Kohl's first, second and third cabinet until 21 April 1989), Köhler was made head of Stoltenberg's office in theFederal Ministry of Finance. Köhler rose to Director General for financial policy and federal industrial interests in 1987. In 1989 he became Director General for currency and credit.[4]
A member of theCDU from 1981, Köhler wasSecretary of State in the Federal Ministry of Finance from 1990 to 1993, and as such, the administrative head of the Ministry and the deputy of the Federal Minister of Finance (Theodor Waigel). In that capacity, he served as a "sherpa" (personal representative) forChancellorHelmut Kohl, preparingG7 summits and other international economic conferences. As secretary of state, Köhler negotiated both theGerman–German monetary union[8] and the finalwithdrawal of Soviet troops from the GDR in 1994.[9] In addition, he was chief negotiator for theMaastricht Treaty onEuropean Monetary Union, which led to the creation of theeuro as the Union's single currency.[10]
Köhler also played a central role in organizing the enormously expensive privatization ofstate businesses (VEB) in Eastern Germany. He organized theTreuhand, the agency charged with selling 11,000 aged and moribund VEBs.[11]
In September 1998 Köhler was appointed president of theEuropean Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and settled in London, where the headquarters of the bank is located. The EBRD then was facing annual losses of US$305 million, largely due to the1998 Russian financial crisis. He took stock of the situation, then began to refocus the EBRD's notoriously lax investment policies and tighten up on opulence at the bank itself.[13] At the same time, he was widely reputed to clash with his American vice president, Charles Frank, and other EBRD officials reportedly complained about his temper and management style.[13]
Head of the International Monetary Fund, 2000–2004
Köhler was appointed managing director and chairman of the executive board of theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2000. The government ofGerhard Schröder nominated him after their first nominee,Caio Koch-Weser, was rejected by the United States.[14] Though respected, Köhler was not a particularly well known or prestigious figure in international financial circles.[15] At the time, he was one of three candidates for the IMF position, with Japan having put forward its former deputy finance minister Eisuke Sakakibara and several African nations backingStanley Fischer.[14]
In one of his first moves at the IMF, Köhler joined BritishChancellor of the ExchequerGordon Brown in hosting a gathering of anti-poverty activists to discuss an international campaign to write off billions of dollars in debts that developing nations owe the IMF, World Bank and other government creditors.[16]
Before entering the office of managing director, Köhler had spent time inIndonesia during the1997 Asian financial crisis and thereafter cited it as an example of the fund's tendency towards intrusive micromanagement.[17] Instead, he intended to focus the Fund primarily on broad economic management and to reduce overlapping activity with theWorld Bank.[18] Shortly after taking office in May 2000, he established the Financial Sector Review Group under the leadership ofJohn Lipsky to provide an independent perspective on the Fund's work on international financial markets, In March 2001, on the group's recommendations, he created the International Capital Markets Department, a unit to anticipate and head off financial crises in countries to which the fund makes loans.[19]
In 2001, Köhler recommended namingTimothy Geithner to replace Stanley Fischer as deputy managing director; instead, the US government under PresidentGeorge W. Bush successfully pushed forAnne O. Krueger to take the position.[20]
In order to accept his nomination as presidential candidate, Köhler left the IMF a year before his term was scheduled to end in May 2005. Among his accomplishments were overseeing debt crises in Brazil and Turkey and expanding debt relief for the world's poorest countries. He had less success resolving thecontinuing debt problems in Argentina.[21]
On 4 March 2004, Köhler resigned his post with the IMF after being nominated by Germany's conservative and liberalopposition parties (CDU/CSU andFDP) as their presidential candidate.[23] As these parties controlled a majority of votes in theBundesversammlung ("Federal Assembly": anelectoral college consisting of the membership of theBundestag and an equal number of delegates appointed by the legislatures of eachstate), theresult of the vote amounted to essentially a foregone conclusion, but was closer than expected. Köhler defeatedGesine Schwan on the first ballot by 604 votes to 580; 20 votes were cast for minor candidates.[24] Köhler succeededJohannes Rau as president on 1 July 2004, for a five-year term. Germany's presidency is a largely ceremonial office, but is also invested with considerablemoral authority. From 2004 until early 2006,Charlottenburg Palace was the seat of the President of Germany, whilstSchloss Bellevue was being renovated.[25]
Upon his election, Köhler, a conservative German patriot, said that "Patriotism and being cosmopolitan are not opposites."Die Welt wrote, "He appeared an enlightened patriot who genuinely loves his country and is not afraid to say so". Presenting his visions for Germany, Köhler also said that "Germany should become a land of ideas", and emphasized the importance of globalization, and that Germany would have to compete for its place in the 21st century. Domestically, President Köhler became concerned with the question of how to preserve and create jobs in an internationally competitive environment.[26]
During his presidency, Köhler gained a reputation for regularly voicing his opinion onforeign policy matters. He called for "globalization with a human face" and became a strong advocate of poverty eradication.[27] In his inaugural speech, Köhler had set his focus on a "fair partnership with Africa" which he described as a question of European self-respect:
In my view, the humanity of our world can be measured against the fate of Africa. Do Europe's self-respect, its foundations, values and history, not require it to play an honest and generous role in Africa?[28]
Throughout his six years as president, Köhler "worked hard to put Africa on the top of Germany's political agenda", according toDeutsche Welle.[29] One of his trademark projects was the Partnership with Africa initiative, which brought together heads of state, entrepreneurs, intellectuals and students from Africa and Europe to create a "dialogue of equals".[29] Through unapologetic criticism of both Europe's negligence of the African continent and of sensitive issues in African politics, including corruption, Köhler gained wide popularity across Africa.[29]
On the eve of his resignation, Köhler presented his bookSchicksal Afrika,[30] an edited volume on the continent's future with contributions from 41 authors, including former African presidentsThabo Mbeki andJohn Kufuor as well as Nobel Prize Literature LaureateWole Soyinka.[31]
Köhler after unveiling a bronze statue ofTheodor Heuss
In October 2006, Köhler made a far-reaching decision by vetoing the bill which would transfer Germany's Air Safety AdministrationDeutsche Flugsicherung into private ownership. TheBundestag passed this legislation but as president, Köhler was authorized not to sign it into law if, in his opinion, it contravenedthe constitution.[34] In December 2006 he did not sign the Consumer Information Law (which intended to make information collected by public food safety agencies available to consumers), because the constitution does not allow the federal government to instruct municipal authorities. This can only be done by the nation's states.[35] There had only been six previous occasions when Germany's president had chosen to reject bills and in most instances less important legislation had been involved. His vetoes were the first notable examples in recent German history.[36]
In March 2007, Köhler turned down a politically contentious request forclemency byChristian Klar, a terrorist from the far-leftRed Army Faction. His meeting with Klar had drawn protests from conservative politicians, who said Klar had shown no remorse for his crimes. The president also denied clemency to another member,Birgit Hogefeld.[37]
In his 2007 Christmas address to the nation, Köhler urged the government (First Merkel cabinet) to push ahead more quickly with reforms. He was also critical of the introduction of theminimum wage in the postal sector (which had led to the loss of 1,000 jobs atDeutsche Post rivalPIN Group), stating that "a minimum wage that cannot be paid by competitive employers destroys jobs".[38]
On 22 May 2008, Köhler announced his candidacy for a second term as president. On 23 May 2009,he was re-elected by theFederal Assembly,[39] and was sworn into office for a second term on 1 July 2009.
On 31 May 2010, Köhler announced his resignation as President of Germany.[40] This came after German politicians criticized comments made by Köhler in relation to overseas military deployments:[41]
In my estimation, though, we – including [German] society as a whole – are coming to the general understanding that, given this [strong] focus and corresponding dependency on exports, a country of our size needs to be aware that where called for or in an emergency, military deployment, too, is necessary if we are to protect our interests such as ensuring free trade routes or preventing regional instabilities which are also certain to negatively impact our ability to safeguard trade, jobs and income. All of this should be discussed and I think the path we are on is not so bad.
After coming under criticism for his statements that Germany's military missions abroad also served to secure trade, critics accused him of advocating the use of "gunboat diplomacy".[43] He subsequently stated that his comments referred topiracy off the coast of Somalia. Köhler stated that there was no substance to accusations that in the interview he had overstepped his formal role by favoring an unconstitutional position. After getting no substantial support in the dispute, Köhler stepped down on 31 May 2010, issuing a statement saying "I declare my resignation from the Office of President, with immediate effect."[44] The resignation was considered a "surprise",[45] and both pundits and opposition politicians labeled it "an overreaction".[46][47] The following days he was criticized for not being able to handle criticism while being a rigorous critic himself. His unprecedented act of immediate resignation was also considered showing a lack of respect for his position.[48]
As stipulated bythe constitution, the powers of the vacant office were executed by the current President of theBundesrat,Jens Böhrnsen, untilChristian Wulff was elected president on 30 June 2010.[49] Wulff himself resigned less than two years later after allegations of corruption were levelled against him. Wulff resigned on 17 February 2012 and was succeeded byJoachim Gauck.[49]
After leaving office, Köhler continued to voice his opinion on selected foreign and domestic policy matters, most notably on Europe–Africa relations, the global fight against poverty and climate change as well as on the need for a new spirit of global partnership.[50] Between 2010 and 2011, Köhler served as member of the Palais-Royal Initiative, a group convened byMichel Camdessus,Alexandre Lamfalussy andTommaso Padoa-Schioppa to reform the international monetary system.[51] From 2012 to 2013, Köhler served on the United Nations'High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which was co-chaired by PresidentSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, PresidentEllen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, and Prime MinisterDavid Cameron of the United Kingdom.[52] The advisory board was established by UN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon to shape the global development agenda beyond 2015, the target date for theMillennium Development Goals. The Panel produced a final report with recommendations and thereby contributed in the making of the2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by all UN member states in September 2015.[53] Within Germany, Köhler was widely regarded as one of the country's most experienced experts on Africa, although he himself publicly rejected this label, saying in his speech "On the impossibility of speaking of Africa": "The more I learned about Africa, the more I realized how much there still was to learn".[54]
On several occasions, Köhler officially represented Germany as former president. Köhler took part in Namibia's 25th Independence Day festivities and represented Germany at PresidentIbrahim Boubacar Keïta's inauguration ceremony in Mali the same year.[55] Beginning in 2016, Köhler co-chaired, together with former UN Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan, a Special Panel of theAfrican Development Bank (AfDB).[56]
In 2017, Köhler was appointed by Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres as his new special envoy forWestern Sahara, in charge of restarting talks betweenMorocco and thePolisario independence movement over the disputed territory.[57] In that capacity, Köhler invited the foreign ministers ofMorocco,Algeria andMauritania as well as the secretary general of thePolisario Front in late 2018 for a meeting inGeneva to broker a settlement over the territory;[58] this marked the first time in six years that the involved parties met for negotiations. In 2019, he left his post on health grounds.[59]
Köhler also worked for numerous charities and non-profit organizations, and held an honorary professorship at theUniversity of Tübingen, his alma mater.[60] After his retirement from German and European politics, he held a variety of positions, including:
Scope Foundation, Member of the Honorary Board (as of 2020)[61]
In 1969, Köhler marriedEva Köhler (née Bohnet), a teacher.[5] They had two children, a daughter Ulrike (born in 1972) and a son Jochen (born in 1977).[75] Köhler was a member of theProtestant Church in Germany. A passionate swimmer, runner and cross-country skier, Köhler chose to spend much of his time in natural surroundings.[76] Köhler lived with his wife in Berlin andChiemgau.[77]
Köhler died inBerlin on 1 February 2025 after a short illness, 21 days short of his 82nd birthday.[78][79]
^UN Secretary-General appoints Horst Köhler to High-level Advisory Panel; News Corner of the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations – New York; from 01. August 2012
^abc"Horst Köhler".Munzinger Biographie (in German). Retrieved1 February 2025.
^abc"Horst Köhler".Geschichte der CDU (in German). 20 June 2024. Retrieved1 February 2025.
^"Horst Köhler".Der Bundespräsident (in German). Retrieved1 February 2025.
^Köhler, Horst (1977).Freisetzung von Arbeit durch technischen Fortschritt (in German). Tübingen: [Institut für Angewandte Wirtschaftsforschung].OCLC5942581.
^Strohmeier, Gerd; Wittlinger, Ruth (1 March 2010). "Parliamentary Heads of State: Players or Figureheads? The Case of Horst Köhler".West European Politics.33 (2):237–257.doi:10.1080/01402380903538856.ISSN0140-2382.S2CID154522953.
^ab"Horst Köhler".Kiel Institute (in German). Retrieved1 February 2025.
^"Wahl des Bundespräsidenten am 23. Mai 2004" [Election of the Federal President on May 23, 2004].Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Baden-Württemberg (in German). Retrieved1 February 2025.
^"Schloss Charlottenburg".Burgen und Schlösser. Kelten. Mittelalter. Schottland (in German). 4 July 2015. Retrieved1 February 2025.
^Ricke, Christopher (22 May 2010)."Sie leisten wirklich Großartiges unter schwierigsten Bedingungen". Deutschlandradio.Meine Einschätzung ist aber, dass insgesamt wir auf dem Wege sind, doch auch in der Breite der Gesellschaft zu verstehen, dass ein Land unserer Größe mit dieser Außenhandelsorientierung und damit auch Außenhandelsabhängigkeit auch wissen muss, dass im Zweifel, im Notfall auch militärischer Einsatz notwendig ist, um unsere Interessen zu wahren, zum Beispiel freie Handelswege, zum Beispiel ganze regionale Instabilitäten zu verhindern, die mit Sicherheit dann auch auf unsere Chancen zurückschlagen negativ durch Handel, Arbeitsplätze und Einkommen. Alles das soll diskutiert werden und ich glaube, wir sind auf einem nicht so schlechten Weg.
^Köhler, Horst (3 July 2015). "On the Impossibility of Speaking of Africa: Essay Based on a Speech at the Africa Days of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research on March 18, 2014".Africa Journal of Management.1 (3):257–263.doi:10.1080/23322373.2015.1056997.ISSN2332-2373.S2CID155035726.
