Germany’s former president Horst Koehler, who also once headed the International Monetary Fund and was a strong backer of Africa, died Saturday aged 81 after a brief illness.

Koehler, head of state from 2004 to 2010, passed away in Berlin in the early hours, surrounded by his family, the Germany presidency announced.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier led tributes to Koehler, saying that Germany had “lost a highly esteemed and extremely popular person who achieved great things –- for our country and in the world”.

In a post on X, Chancellor Olaf Scholz hailed Koehler as a “committed politician who worked throughout his life for a fairer world”.

An economist by training, he was the first German head of state who was not a career politician.

Before becoming president he was the head of the IMF in Washington from 2000 to 2004, and also held other roles in the civil service and banking.

He became Germany’s head of state, a mostly ceremonial role, after being put forward by then opposition leader Angela Merkel, who went on to become chancellor.

Steinmeier said that when he was elected, the member of the centre-right CDU party was “virtually unknown”.

Top-selling tabloid Bild memorably marked the news that he was seeking the presidency with the headline “Horst who?”

But the plain-speaking, unconventional politician quickly became popular in particular due to his criticism of big salaries earned by executives and the workings of the financial markets.

He was elected for a second term in 2009.

But in May the following year he stunned the country by abruptly resigning over remarks in an interview where he appeared to link Germany’s military deployment in Afghanistan with defending economic interests.

The comments sparked controversy as there is still great sensitivity in Germany about overseas military missions due to painful memories of the Nazi era.

https://guardian.ng/features/friday-review/horst-koehler-german-ex-president-and-imf-chief-dead-at-81/