King of the Crackdown

One of the biggest surprises in German politics has been the career of Otto Schily. He befriended student radicals in the 1960s, was a defense lawyer for Red Army Faction terrorists in the '70s, became a Green politician in the '80s and then defected to the Social Democrats. So when Schily was appointed Interior Minister by Gerhard Schröder in 1998, many people expected him to pursue a liberal, reformist path. Instead, he has emerged as one of Schröder's most conservative appointees.

After only a month in office Schily, 70, declared that Germany's tolerance for refugees had been...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!