“Without the ‘courage’ of the last leader of the USSR, the peaceful uprising in the German Democratic Republic would not have been possible,” said the former German chancellor.
THE Mikhail Gorbachevthe last leader of the Soviet Union who died yesterday aged 91, “wrote the History of the world” and “changed my life radically“, said the former chancellor of Germany Angela Merkelwho grew up in the former East Germany.
“He showed by his example how a single politician can change the world for the better“, noted the former leader of Germany in a particularly emotional statement she made knitting the eulogy of the late former leader. “Mikhail Gorbachev also changed my life radically. I will never forget him“.
Without “the courage” of the last leader of the USSR, “peaceful uprising in the GDR (German Democratic Republic) would not be possible“, underlined Merkel.
“Even today I can feel again the fear that I felt with many people in the GDR in 1989, that of not knowing if the tanks will start again like in 1953, when we shouted ‘We are the people’“, the former chancellor recalled, referring to the demonstrations in eastern Germany by citizens opposed to the communist regime.
“However this time — unlike in 1953 — no tanks were launched, no shots fired. Instead, Mikhail Gorbachev addressed the aging leadership of the GDR with the phrase ‘Life punishes the latecomer’‘”.
“In addition, it allowed a reunified Germany to become a member of NATO“, he recalled.
“I have not forgotten the images of his meeting with Chancellor Helmut Kohl in the Caucasus in 1990, which made possible the reunification of Germany in peace and freedom“, notes the 68-year-old Merkel, who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021.
“May the memory of his historic achievements allow for pause, especially in these terrible weeks and months of Russia’s war against Ukraine“, concluded.
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