He was 81 years old.
On Saturday morning, after a short and severe illness, former German President Horst Köhler died. Informed the office of the Federal President. Köhler held the presidential office between 2004 and 2010, when he unexpectedly resigned, TASR writes.
Köhler, a candidate of Christian Democrats (CDU) and Liberals (FDP), elected the Federal Assembly as the first non -party in history. The former economist was the ninth head of state in post -war Germany.
The Federal President’s Office said in a mourning statement that Köhler “pushed for a picture of Germany as a country of ideas that will unite, will confidently shape his future and act as the power of good in the world.”
In foreign policy, according to the presidential office “defended fair globalization with respect to the well -being of all people.” His priority was mainly Africa, which he considered key to global development. He was considered an expert of the continent and after leaving politics he also acted as an ambassador of the UN Secretary General for the UN Western Sahara.
DPA recalls that his decision to withdraw from office was unprecedented at that time. The impulse for his resignation was an interview for Deutschlandradio Kultur, which Köhler provided during the flight home from a visit to German soldiers in Afghanistan. In it, he justified the deployment of the German armed forces abroad by defending German economic interests. Critics blamed him for justifying a mission in Afghanistan, which Köhler denied. According to him, the criticism was irreparably damaged by his office and therefore resigned from the post.
