Helmut Schmidt vs Jack Layton

Schmidt became Chancellor of West Germany on May 16, 1974, succeeding Willy Brandt. He took office during the 1970s oil crisis and economic recession, inheriting a period of stagflation and high unemployment.

Schmidt implemented austerity measures and energy conservation policies to address the oil crisis. He reduced public spending and promoted nuclear power, but unemployment rose to over one million by 1975.

Schmidt advocated for NATO's dual-track policy of deploying Pershing II and cruise missiles in Western Europe while offering arms control negotiations with the Soviet Union. This decision aimed to counter Soviet SS-20 missiles and sparked massive peace protests in West Germany.

Schmidt lost a constructive vote of no confidence on October 1, 1982, when the Free Democratic Party switched coalition partners to support Helmut Kohl's CDU. This ended his eight-year chancellorship and marked a shift to conservative rule.

Jack Layton was elected federal leader of the New Democratic Party at the party's convention in Toronto. He succeeded Alexa McDonough and began revitalizing the party's electoral fortunes, shifting it toward a more centrist and pragmatic approach.

Layton announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer but stated it was treatable and he would continue leading the NDP through the upcoming election. He underwent surgery and returned to work, maintaining his public schedule.

In the 2011 federal election, the NDP under Layton won 103 seats, becoming the Official Opposition for the first time in party history. The breakthrough was driven by the 'Orange Wave' in Quebec, where the NDP won 59 seats.

Layton announced he had been diagnosed with a new, aggressive form of cancer and would step down as NDP leader to focus on treatment. He died shortly after, on August 22, 2011, prompting a national outpouring of grief.