It was clear that the successful reunification of Germany would be a tremendous undertaking. And many wondered what those changes would mean for the European Community – whether it would upset the balance of power that had prevailed between nations since the war. In that uncertain setting, Theo Waigel’s leadership was pivotal – both as a German and as a European.
He was one of the strongest advocates of German reunification, and was instrumental in getting Germany’s federal and state governments to finance the reconstruction and modernisation of East Germany. And under his influence, the German government took a fundamental decision for Europe: that the reunification which made Germany stronger should not make Europe weaker.