Guido Westerwelle, Merkel's Former Deputy Chancellor, Dies

  • Ex-chief of Free Democrats loses leukemia battle at 54
  • Backed Greek bailouts when party flirted with anti-euro stand
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Guido Westerwelle, a former German foreign minister and head of the Free Democratic Party who helped Chancellor Angela Merkel win backing for bailouts for Greece, died after a battle with leukemia. He was 54.

Westerwelle died Friday at Cologne University Hospital of complications from the treatment of his illness, the Berlin-based foundation he helped start said on its Facebook page. He had been diagnosed with the cancer in June 2014.