Editing Helmut Kohl (section)

=== After reunification, 1990–1998 ===
{{See also|Fourth Kohl cabinet|Fifth Kohl cabinet}}
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1990-0916-021, Dresden, CDU-Wahlveranstaltung, Helmut Kohl.jpg|thumb|Kohl in 1990]]
Reunification placed Kohl in a momentarily unassailable position. In the [[1990 German federal election|1990 elections]]&nbsp;– the first free, fair and democratic all-German elections since the [[Weimar Republic]] era&nbsp;– Kohl won by a landslide over opposition candidate and Minister-President of [[Saarland]], [[Oskar Lafontaine]]. He then formed his [[Cabinet Kohl IV|fourth cabinet]].<ref>A. James McAdams, ''Germany Divided: From the Wall to Reunification'', p. 221, Princeton University Press, 1994, {{ISBN|9780691001081}}</ref>
[[File:George H. W. Bush and Helmut Kohl.jpg|thumb|Kohl meets with U.S. President [[George H. W. Bush]] in Washington, D.C., 16 September 1991]]
After the [[1994 German federal election|federal elections of 1994]] Kohl was reelected with a somewhat reduced majority, defeating Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate [[Rudolf Scharping]]. The SPD was able to win a majority in the [[Bundesrat of Germany|Bundesrat]], which significantly limited Kohl's power. In foreign politics, Kohl was more successful, for instance getting [[Frankfurt am Main]] as the seat for the [[European Central Bank]]. In 1997, Kohl received the [[Vision for Europe Award]] for his efforts in the unification of Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundeskanzlerin.de/ContentArchiv/EN/Archiv17/Reiseberichte/l-merkel-chosen-for-vision-for-europe-award.html|title=Bundeskanzlerin – Merkel chosen for 'Vision for Europe' Award|website=bundeskanzlerin.de|date=13 November 2006 }}</ref>

By the late 1990s, Kohl's popularity had dropped amid rising unemployment. He was defeated by a large margin in the [[1998 German federal election|1998 federal elections]] by the [[Minister-President of Lower Saxony]], Gerhard Schröder.<ref name=Thompson />

The future Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] started her political career as Kohl's protégée and was known in the 1990s as "Kohl's girl"; in January 1991, he lifted the then little-known Merkel to national prominence by appointing her to the federal cabinet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/may/31/germany.lukeharding|title=The 'ordinary but ambitious' girl from the east who is set to be Germany's next leader|first=Luke|last=Harding|date=30 May 2005|work=The Guardian}}</ref>