Premise: Since '82 Federal Chancellor (elected by "constructive vote of no confidence" against former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, Social Democratic Party (SPD); reelected 1983, 1987, 1991 and 1994). This makes Helmut Kohl the longest-serving chancellor of the Federal Republic, passing by Konrad Adenauer, the first chancellor, this October.
Hypothesis: Helmut Schmidt was a very popular politician.