The praise which has been widely bestowed upon the achievements of Egon Bahr who recently died, mainly concern his merits as the architect of Willy Brandt’s Ostpolitik. Indeed, he was the man behind Brandt who since the early 60s advocated a new relationship of Germany with her Eastern neighbours, and in particular with the Soviet Union. As a man with strategic talents and the gift to shape policy by formulas, his presence at that time was fortuitous for Germany and indispensable for Brandt, as he had none of the archetypal politician’s incessant desire to be in the public limelight. (Read more …)