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| Helmut Kohl: German ex-chancellor 'in intensive care' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Former German chancellor and architect of reunification Helmut Kohl is in intensive care after surgery on his intestine, German media reports say. | |
| The 85-year-old conservative is in a clinic in the south-western city of Heidelberg, Der Spiegel reports. | The 85-year-old conservative is in a clinic in the south-western city of Heidelberg, Der Spiegel reports. |
| There has been no official comment from the clinic or his office. | There has been no official comment from the clinic or his office. |
| The so-called "father of reunification" was modern Germany's longest-serving chancellor, coinciding with the peaceful end of the Cold War. | The so-called "father of reunification" was modern Germany's longest-serving chancellor, coinciding with the peaceful end of the Cold War. |
| He served as chancellor from 1982 to 1998. | He served as chancellor from 1982 to 1998. |
| Frail figure | |
| Der Spiegel described his condition as "critical" (in German), quoting sources close to the former chancellor. It said he had been in intensive care for the past three weeks. | Der Spiegel described his condition as "critical" (in German), quoting sources close to the former chancellor. It said he had been in intensive care for the past three weeks. |
| According to Bunte magazine, Mr Kohl was unconscious for a long time following an operation on his intestine. | According to Bunte magazine, Mr Kohl was unconscious for a long time following an operation on his intestine. |
| The German magazine said he had a hip replacement in May and was due to go to a rehabilitation centre this month. | The German magazine said he had a hip replacement in May and was due to go to a rehabilitation centre this month. |
| Mr Kohl is credited with bringing East and West Germany together after the fall of the Berlin Wall and - together with his French ally President Francois Mitterrand - was responsible for the introduction of the euro. | |
| Former US President George Bush Senior once described him as the most important European leader of the late 20th Century. | |
| In more recent years, the former chancellor has been a frail figure and he has rarely been seen in public although he has spoken in support of closer European integration, says the BBC's Jenny Hill in Berlin. | |
| Mr Kohl fell from grace when a funding scandal under his leadership of the Christian Democrats came to light after he left office in 1998. | Mr Kohl fell from grace when a funding scandal under his leadership of the Christian Democrats came to light after he left office in 1998. |
| Current Chancellor Angela Merkel was once a protegee of Mr Kohl, first entering government under his rule in 1991. | |
| But she publicly denounced Mr Kohl and called for his resignation when it was revealed the party had received millions of dollars worth of illegal donations using secret bank accounts. | |
| In 2011, he spoke out against Mrs Merkel's policy of strict austerity to deal with the European debt crisis in a series of interviews and statements. | |
| Mr Kohl, who exited active politics in 2002, has been confined to a wheelchair in recent years after suffering a stroke. |