Wolfgang Schaeuble, veteran of German politics, dies at 81

BERLIN (Reuters) -Wolfgang Schaeuble, who served as a member of the German parliament for over half a century, has died aged 81, ending one of Germany's longest political careers in which he helped secure his country's place at the heart of Europe.

Schaeuble, who spent much of his career devoted to re-unifying his country and later served as former chancellor Angela Merkel's frugal finance minister during the eurozone debt crisis, died peacefully late Tuesday, said a spokesperson for the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) on Wednesday.

He had been a member of the CDU since 1965 and a member of parliament since 1972.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz expressed his deep grief at Schaeuble's death in a social media post on X.

"In Wolfgang Schaeuble, I lose the dearest friend and adviser I've ever had in politics," Merz said.

Tributes also came in from France, where Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire expressed his "profound sadness" on X.

"He was a friend, a loyal and reliable partner, and a tireless craftsman of the friendship between Germany and France," Le Maire wrote.

(Reporting by Klaus Lauer and Rachel MoreEditing by Miranda Murray)