German parliament agrees to set up Helmut Kohl foundation

The lower house of the German parliament on Thursday voted to establish a foundation honoring former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who passed away in 2017 at 87-year-old. The plan goes against the wishes of his widow, Maike Kohl-Richter.

What are the details of the foundation?

The foundation, which will be set up in Berlin, will feature a permanent exhibition on Kohl's life. It will also serve as a venue for special events.

The foundation will commemorate Kohl's political efforts for the "freedom and unity of the German people." It will also remember his work in advancing EU integration and towards world peace.

All German parties in the parliament agreed to the proposal, with only the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party abstaining from the vote. Kohl was a member of the right-wing Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

"Helmut Kohl is still a great role model for many people today," CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak said about the initiative. Proponents say Kohl's extraordinary life merits the establishment of a foundation in his name.

Kohl's second wife and widow said shortly before the parliamentary vote that she had not agreed to the project. Kohl-Richter claimed that the construction of the foundation at this time is not in accordance with her husband's ideas.

It's not the first time Kohl-Richter has objected to projects concerning her late husband, most notably including years of litigation against the former chancellor's biographer and ghostwriter Heribert Schwan over a candid memoir and accompanying audio recordings of their discussions.

What is Kohl's legacy?

Kohl served as chancellor for 16 years, from 1982 to 1998. He also led the CDU party from 1973 to 1998.

During his tenure as chancellor, he presided over the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and ensuing collapse of the Soviet Union. Kohl became a key architect of German reunification, signing an economic and social union treaty with East Germany in 1990. After the Berlin Wall fell, he also brought a young east German Angela Merkel into his Cabinet, first as environment minister.

In 1992, Kohl partnered with French President Francois Mitterand to ratify the Maastricht Treaty, which ushered in not only closer European integration but also the eventual creation of the euro currency.

Kohl viewed the United States as a key ally, having worked closely with Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, sparking a particular rapport with Bush the elder.

Kohl, a Roman Catholic from the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, held a doctorate in history and worked in the business world before entering politics full-time.

Kohl is not the first chancellor to be honored with a foundation bearing his name. Political foundations have also been set up to continue the political legacy of Konrad Adenauer and Willy Brandt, among others.

wd/msh (AFP, dpa)