Condolences from the Prime Minister on the death of Egon Bahr

In his letter, Prime Minister Sobotka expressed his appreciation for his legacy emphasising the power of dialogue. “The death of Egon Bahr deprives us of a great European, who made a fundamental contribution to supporting political dialogue across the Iron Curtain”, the Prime Minister wrote in his letter.

Egon Bahr was one of the major figures of post-war German politics. As a close partner of Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt, he was one of the initiators of the government’s so-called new Ostpolitik, which led to the normalisation of relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and the eastern bloc.  As Federal Minister for Special Affairs from 1972 to 1974 he was responsible for relations with the German Democratic Republic, from 1974 to 1976 he was Minister for Economic Cooperation.

Prime Minister Sobotka also sent a letter of condolence to the Vice-Chancellor and Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel, of whose party Egon Bahr was a long-term member.