COLLE Helmut (Kohl Helmut)

(p. 1930)
Born April 30, 1930 in Ludwigshafen am Rhein. In 1958 received his Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg. Became a member of the legislative body of Rhineland-Palatinate. In 1966 Kohl - the representative of the Christian Democratic Union (HDZ) in 1969 - Minister-President (chief executive) of the State and a member of the Bundesrat (upper house) of parliament. In 1973 - Chairman of the CDU. In 1975, was reelected as chief executive, in 1976, after the national elections, has left that post to lead the CDU in the Bundestag. In 1976 the CDU was close to victory over a coalition led by Schmidt. In October 1982, Schmidt was unable to save the coalition in the Bundestag, and Cole as the leader of the CDU became chancellor in the coalition government of CDU - Free Democratic Party (FDP). In 1983, a coalition of the CDU - FDP - CSU won the election. In 1983, the crisis erupted in connection with the deployment in the territory of West Germany's nuclear weapons in 1984 was seven-week strike in the engineering and metallurgical industry. At the 1987 national elections, a coalition of the CDU - FDP won an overwhelming majority.
After the Soviet Union in 1989-1990 went from Eastern Europe, Kohl took the initiative of the reunification of Germany, which occurred in October 1990. Led by his coalition in December 1990 on the first throughout Germany after 1933 elections, was elected to Parliament, having received a significant number of seats. Before Kohl government faced the problem of mass unemployment in eastern Germany, the revival of the extreme right and neo-Nazi groups, who opposed the presence of foreign workers and other immigrants. In response, the government has enacted new immigration laws. Kohl supported the expansion of the European Union in December 1991, unequivocally supported the Maastricht Treaty. In 1994, a coalition of the CDU - FDP won national elections with a slight advantage. In elections in September 1998, a coalition of the CDU - FDP lost the Social Democratic Party, and as Chancellor took the leader of the Social Democrat Gerhard Schroeder. In late 1999 - early 2000, Kohl was accused of using illegal sources to finance his party.