Schäuble Chatter

If you follow German news and the campaign for the new chief of the CDU Party (Merkel's party)....there is a bit of intrigue in the past day or two....with Wolfgang Schäuble (former big-wig of the CDU Party, former Finance Minister, and who would have likely been the Chancellor of Germany in the 2002 general election....had it not been for Kohl's little scandal. 

So here is a brief moment in history, which very few journalists or German historians will cover in public.

In 1984, Schäuble began this step-up to be in the inner-circle of Helmet Kohl....when he became the Minister of Special Affairs.  Five years later, still under the Kohl 'umbrella'.....he moved up to Minister of the Interior.  He was the guy standing there as the Wall came down and the unification of Germany became a project to piece together the 'new' Germany.  Every step of the way....Kohl's great moments in this period...really depended upon Schäuble.

The expectation there in the early 1990s....Schäuble would be the person to step up as Kohl retired.  The question was 'when'.

When the October 1994 election came up....Kohl expected a very demanding election and stayed on for another election.  The CDU was able to piece together a 41-percent win.

1998?  It probably was the point where the CDU should have shuffled things around and brought Schäuble in....but instead...the party went to Helmet Kohl who was suffering because of scandal accusations (the party donations sitting in a foreign bank). Kohl lost (by four points). 

So with the loss sitting there, it was obvious.....the party needed fresh new leadership and Schäuble would have been that person.  But roughly six months into this period....accusations that Schäuble knew about the scandal, the money, and how Kohl did things.....meant a party leadership change.

And so....enter Merkel.  She couldn't be the Chancellor candidate in 2002's election because of a large group of the party still looking for experienced leadership.  That election was another loss for the CDU.

So September 2005, came with Merkel winning the election.

Schäuble, to some degree, has been kept around for various minister posts, but he has to be somewhat angry over his chances lost for the Chancellor post.

Now?  Well....today's news indicates that Schäuble has come out and put his support behind Merz.  The Chancellor?  She's for AKK. 

Does Schäuble's opinion matter?  There's still some individuals from the 1990s left in the upper level of the CDU Party, and his recommendation to them....matters. 

Does all this scandal business from the Kohl era affect relationships today?  One might go and suggest that the 'smell' still lingers.