Former German Minister Westerwelle deceased

- The former German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle Friday deceased. The former leader of the FDP died at the age of 54 years from the effects of leukemia, Westerwelle Foundation announced in Berlin.

He sat between October 2009 and December 2013 as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Under his leadership, the FDP had the best election result ever with 14.6 percent of the vote in the Bundestag elections of 2009. In 2011 Westerwelle wore his functions as vice chancellor and FDP chairman Philipp Rösler on to. At the Bundestag elections of 2013, the FDP suffered a major defeat. The party does not even reached the threshold.

Westerwelle could not stay on as foreign minister and was succeeded by SPD politician Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was also his predecessor.