Statement by President Michael D. Higgins – Helmut Schmidt
Date: Tue 10th Nov, 2015 | 10:14
On hearing of the death of former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, President Michael D. Higgins said in a statement this afternoon:
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.
He was a leader in troubled times, steering his country through two oil crises and the growing threat to democracy posed by the rise of violent terror groups in the years of his Chancellorship.
His legacy is shaped by his understanding of Germany’s role in the construction of a modern, social and democratic Europe, and his often stated view that a Social Europe was the best source of security on the continent.
With the passing of Helmut Schmidt, Europe has lost one of its key architects.
Sabina and I wish to express our deepest sympathies to his family and to the German nation.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”