Germany’s parliament pays tribute to Wolfgang Schaeuble with Macron giving a speech at the memorial

By EMILY SCHULTHEIS
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s parliament has paid tribute to Wolfgang Schaeuble. The former finance minister and the country’s longest-serving lawmaker who helped negotiate German reunification died in December at age 81. French President Emmanuel Macron, Bundestag president Baerbel Bas and Christian Democrats leader Friedrich Merz were in attendance at Monday’s memorial. They praised Schaeuble’s long years of service in the German government and his commitment to a unified Germany and to the European project. Macron said that “Germany has lost a statesman, Europe has lost a pillar, France has lost a friend.”