Having been the chancellor of Germany since 2005, it is hard for many to imagine a Germany or indeed an EU without the steadfast leadership of Angela Merkel. She has steered Germany through a period which has seen great change across the board to say the least. But the time has come, as it often does, for the next leader to take the reins of one of Europe’s greatest powerhouses.
In November 2018, Merkel stepped down as leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and announced she would not seek another term as chancellor in 2021 however, the legacy that she leaves behind will live on beyond her time in office.
Angela Merkel became the first female chancellor of Germany in 2005 and has since served 4 terms in office.
Before her rich and diverse 32 year political career that culminated in her chancellorship for half of that time, Angela Markel had an equally stunning scientific career studying physics, being awarded a doctorate for her thesis on quantum chemistry in 1986 as well as publishing several research papers in the sciences. She is a scientist turned politician, a very rare occurrence and a trend that the world does not see enough of.
Being at the helm of the largest economy in Europe has also made her the de facto leader of the EU and thus giving her even greater influence on the global stage. She has been critical in steering the German economy and by extension Europe through the eurozone crisis, the consequences of Brexit and recently covid-19.
Merkel’s leadership style came to the forefront during the 2015 European migrant crisis. She took the bold move that many in Europe were afraid to take and allowed more than a million Syrian refugees into Germany. This has since positioned Merkel as the human rights champion of Europe.
Merkel’s politics have made her very popular at home and across Europe with several polls listing her as the most trusted leader in Europe.
Germany is now well on its way to new leadership after a close federal election which has seen the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) win narrowly over Markel’s party this september.
With Merkel stepping down, the candidates for chancellor are the SPD’s Olaf Scholz and CDU (of outgoing Chancellor Merkel) leader Armin Laschet.
Many around the world are watching and wondering what the new German government is going to look like and how the new German administration will drive Europe’s greatest economy.
These answers won’t come quickly as the frontrunners have both claimed a mandate to lead the next coalition government. leaders of Germany’s different political parties met on Monday to kickstart coalition negotiations which will take a while.
Angela Merkel will stay in office in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed. She has been evasive about what she will do after her tenure in office only mentioning that she will take a break, maybe read something and then saying “we’ll see where I pop up.” Everyone is eager to see where that is.
