Theo Waigel’s political career cannot just be defined by the elections he won, however many there were during his 30 years in the Bundestag. Nor can it be defined by his time as head of the CSU and as finance minister of Germany. It is defined by his legacy: a legacy that is still shaping Europe today.
He became finance minister in 1989 at a turning-point in post-war European history – when the Iron Curtain that divided Europe was being lifted; when the walls and barbed wire that divided Germany were being removed. It was a time of great hopes and expectations. But it was also a time of some anxiety.