Former German President Horst K?hler Passes Away

Horst K?hler (81), former President of Germany, passed away on the 1st (local time).

According to the Associated Press, former President K?hler, who had been ill, died that morning in Berlin surrounded by his family.

In a media interview in May 2010, former President K?hler stated, "Countries like ours that depend on foreign trade need military action to protect our interests in emergencies." Following this statement, controversy arose over his remarks being aggressive and unconstitutional according to the German constitution, leading to his resignation. He bore the dishonor of being the first German president to resign during his term since World War II.

In the early 1990s, when K?hler was Federal Minister of Finance, he led the Maastricht Treaty that introduced the Euro. As IMF Managing Director and German President, he also argued that Europe should abandon colonialist thinking and work together with Africa on equal terms to address global challenges.