Public Perception
Kohl faced stiff opposition from the West German political left and was as well mocked upon for his provincial background, physical stature and simple language. Similar to historical French cartoons of Louis-Philippe of France, Hans Traxler depicted Kohl as a pear in the left leaning satirical journal Titanic. The German expression Birne ("pear") became a widespread nickname and symbol for the Chancellor. Kohl became one of the most popular politicians in some regions of Eastern Germany and a greatly respected European statesman.
Read more about this topic: Helmut Kohl
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