Mr. Helmut Kohl may no longer be Germany's chancellor, a position he held for 16 years, but he continues to be one of the country's most revered statesmen. He presided over the reunification of Germany and in the process helped the country become "a normal nation." While each of his predecessors pushed Germany along that path, his steady hand and unwavering commitment to Europe were indispensable during a turbulent period of international politics.

In recent weeks, Germans have seen another side of Mr. Kohl, one that had been suspected -- even reported -- but largely ignored. The former chancellor has admitted he controlled secret accounts that were used to finance allies in his party, the Christian Democratic Union. Mr. Kohl denies that donations to those slush funds influenced decisions he took while in office. Even his critics acknowledge that the accounts were used merely to tighten his grip over the CDU, which he has headed since 1973. That is reassuring, but irrelevant: The accounts themselves are illegal.

Mr. Kohl's explanation, that he "wanted only to serve his party," is immaterial. The truth is that Germany's leading political figure put himself above the law, and this attitude prevailed even after the country had been rocked by funding scandals in the '60s and '70s. Moreover, this is the man who represented German reliability and dependability to his public and the world.