Kleinschmidt / MSC
German agency DPA reported the death of Helmut Schmidt citing his physician Heiner Greten. According to him, the politician died at 14:30 (German time) in his hometown of Hamburg.
Representative of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), Helmut Schmidt (his full name Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt) was in power from 1974 to 1982. Previously, he served as Minister of Defense, Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany. Willy Brandt's successor, he has faced a number of challenges when took over as Chancellor: the oil crisis, extremist terror of "Red Army Faction" (RAF, Rote Armee Fraktion), high unemployment. In foreign policy, he continued the policy of rapprochement between East and West.
It is known that the patriarch of German politics was ill for a long time. In early August, he was hospitalized because of the heat, but two days later was discharged. "Helmut Schmidt can smoke again", - rejoiced magazine Der Spiegel. The former Chancellor really was a heavy smoker and, wearing a pacemaker recent years, did not refuse cigarettes, having smoked a pack a day. In the meantime, the politician always lived in poor health. As he admitted a few years ago, he fainted about a hundred times even being Chancellor, sometimes - for a split second, but never admitted this, driven by "sense of duty."
As former candidate for chancellor of the SPD Peer Steinbrück told, when the European Union was considering a bill to ban menthol cigarettes, the 94-year-old ex-chancellor purchased hundred units of his favorite to use in future. As then noticed Hamburger Morgenpost, he apparently hoped to prolong the pleasure up to 100 years. Cigarettes, however, were not the only treat for ex-Chancellor: they say that he was fond of chess and was a great musician.
In September, the ex-chancellor got operated in the hospital of St. George in Hamburg - he had clogged blood vessels in the leg. Since then, the politician was in his home under the supervision of doctors.
In recent months, Helmut Schmidt has repeatedly criticized the policy of official Berlin against Moscow. In particular, he stated that the June summit in Bavaria was "nonsense" without Russia. Helmut Schmidt opposed the US-led and EU policies to isolate Russia and did not believe in prospect of adoption of Ukraine and Georgia into the European Union.
Representative of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), Helmut Schmidt (his full name Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt) was in power from 1974 to 1982. Previously, he served as Minister of Defense, Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany. Willy Brandt's successor, he has faced a number of challenges when took over as Chancellor: the oil crisis, extremist terror of "Red Army Faction" (RAF, Rote Armee Fraktion), high unemployment. In foreign policy, he continued the policy of rapprochement between East and West.
It is known that the patriarch of German politics was ill for a long time. In early August, he was hospitalized because of the heat, but two days later was discharged. "Helmut Schmidt can smoke again", - rejoiced magazine Der Spiegel. The former Chancellor really was a heavy smoker and, wearing a pacemaker recent years, did not refuse cigarettes, having smoked a pack a day. In the meantime, the politician always lived in poor health. As he admitted a few years ago, he fainted about a hundred times even being Chancellor, sometimes - for a split second, but never admitted this, driven by "sense of duty."
As former candidate for chancellor of the SPD Peer Steinbrück told, when the European Union was considering a bill to ban menthol cigarettes, the 94-year-old ex-chancellor purchased hundred units of his favorite to use in future. As then noticed Hamburger Morgenpost, he apparently hoped to prolong the pleasure up to 100 years. Cigarettes, however, were not the only treat for ex-Chancellor: they say that he was fond of chess and was a great musician.
In September, the ex-chancellor got operated in the hospital of St. George in Hamburg - he had clogged blood vessels in the leg. Since then, the politician was in his home under the supervision of doctors.
In recent months, Helmut Schmidt has repeatedly criticized the policy of official Berlin against Moscow. In particular, he stated that the June summit in Bavaria was "nonsense" without Russia. Helmut Schmidt opposed the US-led and EU policies to isolate Russia and did not believe in prospect of adoption of Ukraine and Georgia into the European Union.
