melinda: alan posener, let's begin with the debt crisis. in fact, that was the issue on which helmut kohl most pointedly criticized hihis form protege angela merkel toward the end of his life. what do you think? you said in your opening statement that she had now has the opportunity to repair the damage. what exactly needs to be done and do you think it will get done? >> yeah. well, i think we need to progress toward closer political union within the euro zone. everyone said this. ok. well, you're right. there was little appetite for that outside germany and inside germany. now our main partner, france, has a leader in emanuel macron who said just that. we know the outlines of this. it means a real banking union. it means -- it means -- it means a common financial policy represented by a common financial minister in the euro zone. melinda: which angela merkel has just said she might be willing to embark on. >> exactly. and it means if you have that, it means a transfer union to the southern states to get them out of the fix they're in. and

melinda: alan posener, let's begin with the debt crisis. in fact, that was the issue on which helmut kohl most pointedly criticized his former protege angela merkel toward the end of his life. what do you think? you said in your opening statement that she had now has the opportunity to repair the damage. what exactly needs to be done and do you think it will get done? >> yeah. well, i think we need to progress toward closer political union within the euro zone. everyone said this. ok. well, you're right. there was little appetite for that outside germany and inside germany. now our main partner, france, has a leader in emanuel macron who said just that. we know the outlines of this. it means a real banking union. it means -- it means -- it means a common financial policy represented by a common financial minister in the euro zone. melinda: which angela merkel has just said she might be willing to embark on. >> exactly. and it means if you have that, it means a transfer union to the southern states to get them out of the fix they're in. and

another observer joins us, alan posener, who argues that helmut kohl's legacy is the expansion of the european union, the deepening and broadening of europe. cleaver,come to hannah who has also closely watched helmut kohl's career. she says corporatism were rife in his era. germany is now more modern and its politicians can stand up straighter. i would like to begin with werner sonne. i have a quote for you. johl was a stroke of luck for germany and europe." >> i agree 100%. he was a unifier of germany and europe. theheir he did not start reunification, thehe people of eastst germany started the procs in g g did not complete the unification but nevertheless, he was an extremely important element in the processes. >> you experienced in close-up on many occasions. what kind of a man was he? >> he had a lot of different sides. he could be very friendly but he to waslso be very brutal the people around him. as a journalist, i experienced all of that close-up. this is also part of his legacy. >> allen, what is your strongest memory of helmut kohl? give us something that tells us the most a

another observer joins us, alan posener, who argues that helmut kohl's legacy is the expansion of the european union, the deepening and broadening of europe. cleaver,come to hannah who has also closely watched helmut kohl's career. she says corporatism were rife in his era. germany is now more modern and its politicians can stand up straighter. i would like to begin with werner sonne. i have a quote for you. johl was a stroke of luck for germany and europe." >> i agree 100%. he was a unifier of germany and europe. theirgh he did not start unificatio the people of east germany started the process in g did not complete the unification but nevertheless, he was an extremely important element in the processes. >> you experienced in close-up on many occasions. what kind of a man was he? >> he had a lot of different sides. he could be very friendly but he to waslso be very brutal the people around him. as a journalist, i experienced all of that close-up. this is also part of his legacy. >> allen, what is your strongest memory of helmut kohl? give us something that tells us the most about who