Die amerikanische Wirtschaftszeitung Wall Street Journal hat sich auf Wolfgang Bosbachs Spuren ins Rheinland begeben, der „Wiege von Deutschlands jahrzehntelangem Europa-Engagement“.  Aus US-Sicht kommen ein paar nette Zitate zusammen:

Mr. Bosbach, a party veteran whose district runs along the eastern wooded hills of the Rhineland—the cradle of Germany’s decades-long engagement with Europe—is at the vanguard of a movement against further bailouts. (…) 

Die WSJ-Korrespondentin Vanessa Fuhrmans hat natürlich ausführlich mit WoBo über das Thema Euro geredet und porträtiert/zitiert ihn ausführlich:

Mr. Bosbach’s fiscal and political world view was shaped by Germany’s postwar years, as a newly minted deutsche mark helped fuel the country’s economic miracle. Born into a deeply Catholic family, he grew up in woodsy hills east of Cologne and the Rhine Valley, the same region as ex-chancellors Konrad Adenauer and Kohl and one particularly scarred by 20th century conflict. At home, religion and conservative politics dominated dinner conversations. So did lessons in responsibility.

Die zweitgrößte Zeitung Amerikas liefert zudem spannende Einblicke in WoBos Kindheit in Bergisch Gladbach:

As a child, Mr. Bosbach would collect scrap paper around the neighborhood to deliver to the local paper mill. “It wasn’t for money, it was about showing responsibility,” said Mr. Bosbach. Introduced to the Christian Democrats’ local youth group at local soccer-league matches, Mr. Bosbach began a career in municipal politics in his 20s and, later, practiced law. He eventually won election to Germany’s national parliament in 1994, climbing the party ranks as one of its top homeland security and interior affairs experts.

“I don’t want to be co-opted into an anti-euro movement—the EU is an important political project,” argues the 59-year-old Rhineland Catholic, whose straight-talking manner and public battle with advanced prostate cancer has won him friends across political lines. “But what we promised the people was a union of stability, not a union of debt.”

Aber Fuhrmanns hat auch mit anderen Leuten in Bergisch Gladbach gesprochen:

A poll for ZDF shows three-quarters of Germans are against the expanded European rescue fund that’s subject to Thursday’s vote. “It’s no longer some remote debate; it’s about our daily lives and what will happen to our savings, our economic standing,” said Ria Borgmann, a retired local government administrator while shopping on a recent afternoon in Bergisch Gladbach, the heart of Mr. Bosbach’s voter district. (…) 

Oder hier, ein Gespräch mit einem Unternehmensvertreter:

In Berlin and beyond, Mr. Bosbach’s antibailout stance has resonated loudly. Hundreds of letters in support have poured into his parliamentary office, as have dozens of media requests. Back home on the streets of Bergisch Gladbach, and other district towns, voters have rushed up to encourage him. Horst Becker, founder and head of Isotec GmbH, a German building restoration company with headquarters in Mr. Bosbach’s voter district, has known Mr. Bosbach since their days as young CDU activists. But in recent months he found himself debating his old friend. “I’d say, ‘Wobo, there is no alternative to supporting Greece. How else can you stop a chain reaction?’” Mr. Becker, 49, said.

Weitere Informationen:

• Der gesamte Beitrag im WSJ
• Was die FAZ über Bergisch Gladbach zu sagen hat
• 26 Fragen an Wolfgang Bosbach
• Alle Beiträge über Wolfgang Bosbach