Angela Merkel

• Born: July 17, 1954
• Place of Birth: Hamburg, Germany

Angela Merkel became Germany’s first female chancellor and one of the world’s most powerful leaders, serving four terms from 2005 to 2021 after assuming leadership of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) political party in 2000. Known for her focus on international cooperation, Merkel helped shape the European Union (EU) and played a key role in brokering a crucial euro bailout during the eurozone debt crisis. She also steered Germany through global events such as the migrant crisis of the 2010s and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, earning a reputation for strong and stable leadership.

Background

Angela Merkel was born Angela Dorothea Kasner on July 17, 1954, in Hamburg, in what was West Germany at the time. Her father, Horst Kasner, was a Lutheran pastor, and her mother, Herlind Kasner, was an English teacher. Her brother, Marcus, was born in 1957, and her sister, Irene, was born in 1964.

A few weeks after Merkel’s birth, her father moved the family to the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany. Seven years later, the Berlin Wall was built. Growing up under communism in the town of Templin, Merkel learned to be wary of the Stasi, or secret police.

Merkel was an excellent student, especially in Russian, math, and science. As a teenager, she joined a socialist youth organization, Freie Deutsche Jugend, or Free German Youth, so she could attend college.

Merkel studied physics and physical chemistry at the University of Leipzig and graduated in 1978. She continued her studies at the German Academy of Sciences in East Berlin and graduated with a doctorate in quantum chemistry in 1986. Merkel worked as a researcher at the Academy of Sciences until 1990.

After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, Merkel decided to enter politics at the age of thirty-five. She joined the center-right Democratic Awakening Party. Within a year, she took on a more visible role as the party’s spokesperson.

Prior to Germany’s reunification, the Democratic Awakening Party was folded into the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the biggest party in West Germany. After joining the CDU, Merkel embarked upon her meteoric rise to power.

Life’s Work

Merkel found a mentor in CDU leader Helmut Kohl. The German chancellor appointed Merkel to various positions in his cabinet. During the next decade, she rose from minister of women to environmental minister to the party’s general secretary.

In 1999, Merkel struck out on her own politically and turned against her mentor. Kohl was caught siphoning the party’s donations into a secret slush fund, from which he paid his friends. In a front-page editorial, Merkel called for Kohl’s resignation.

Merkel’s bold move cemented her rise to the top. She was elected the leader of the CDU in 2000, becoming the first woman to lead a top political party in Germany.

With her calm demeanor and pragmatism, Merkel won over the country’s voters. In 2005, Merkel narrowly defeated Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, the party head of the Social Democrats. Becoming Germany’s first female chancellor, Merkel was also the first former East German resident to lead the nation since its reunification.

After taking office, Merkel steered Europe’s richest country through several international crises. As the unofficial leader of the European Union, she also guided the policies of that entire political and economic bloc made up of twenty-eight countries. Merkel weathered major challenges, including the 2008 global financial crisis, the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, and Great Britain’s 2016 vote to exit the European Union, known as “Brexit,” while staying popular among her constituents. However, perhaps the defining moment of her leadership came during the eurozone debt crisis, which started in 2010.

The eurozone crisis stemmed from the global economic turmoil that erupted from the United States’ subprime mortgage crisis in 2007 and the recession of 2007–2009. Greece was burdened by a huge public debt that it was incapable of paying. Other nations admitted they were also mired in debt. The common currency, the euro, was in jeopardy. Merkel remembered the collapse of Germany’s economy after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and she wanted to spare Europe that same fate. The chancellor carefully considered her options. In 2015, she helped broker a massive bailout for the nineteen countries that use the euro. The action bolstered Merkel’s stance as the de facto leader of Europe, although some critics accused Merkel of waiting too long to act, while others opposed the bailout altogether.

As a former physicist, Merkel often applied scientific analysis to political decisions. She gained a reputation for tackling problems with a methodical approach. The German people even coined a word to describe Merkel’s plodding pace—“Merkeling.”

Later in 2015, Merkel addressed the growing European migrant crisis. That year, Germany opened its borders to 1.1 million refugees and migrants from the Middle East, many of whom were fleeing the deadly civil war in Syria. Merkel called on other European leaders to follow her lead, but many did not. The gesture polarized the German people, and many observers suggested that it threatened Merkel’s chance at reelection two years later.

Despite that controversy, in September 2017, Merkel won her fourth term in office. The CDU also maintained its position with the most seats in parliament, though it significantly lost ground in the election to the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party. Merkel continued to face challenges, however. In June 2018, interior minister Horst Seehofer threatened to resign over conflicts with her immigration policy. While Merkel eventually organized a compromise and Seehofer rescinded his resignation, support for the CDU deteriorated further.

In October 2018, Merkel announced that she would step down from office at the end of the term in 2021. In December 2018, she relinquished her official leadership of the CDU, giving way to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, her preferred successor. However, Kramp-Karrenbauer unexpectedly announced her resignation in early 2020 and officially stepped down the following year, throwing the party into turmoil through the end of Merkel's chancellorship.

Meanwhile, Merkel helped lead Germany through yet another crisis in 2020 as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spread, disrupting societies around the world. Germany's response to the highly contagious viral disease was widely seen as relatively successful compared to many other countries, and it reported lower case counts than nations such as France and the United Kingdom. However, the pandemic further heightened the sociopolitical polarization that had been escalating globally, including growing Euroskepticism and populist nationalism, threatening Merkel's longstanding goal of close international cooperation.

As planned, Merkel did not compete in Germany's 2021 federal election, making it the first time in the history of the federal republic that the incumbent chancellor was not on the ballot. Without Merkel, the CDU had a poor showing, winning just 24.1 percent of the total vote. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) won the most votes, but no party earned a majority, leading to much negotiation over the creation of a coalition government. Many observers noted there was no obvious figure to succeed Merkel as chancellor, though many candidates sought to mold themselves in her image. Olaf Scholz, an SPD member who had served in Merkel's cabinet, eventually took up the chancellorship later in 2021.

After leaving office, Merkel continued to occasionally comment on politics and other subjects. She received considerable public attention after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, as many observers reflected on the legacy of her policies regarding the two countries. Like most other Western leaders, she strongly condemned the invasion and other aggressive actions by Russian president Vladimir Putin.

After retiring from politics, Merkel worked on her memoir. Freedom was slated for release in November 2024. In 2023, the series Miss Merkel proved to be popular on German television. The mystery series is an adaptation based on novels by David Safier that reimagine Merkel as an amateur detective. The first novel was published in Germany in 2021. The series also aired in Italy, where it was well received, and was available in the United States for streaming.

Impact

With her many political accomplishments, Merkel carved her place as one of the world’s most important politicians. As commentators reflected on the end of her chancellorship in 2021, it was often noted that she had provided a steady presence while many other countries saw much turnover in leadership. Many observers praised her policy-oriented mindset and adaptability.

During Merkel’s time in office, Germany became a major player in world affairs. With her disciplined approach, Merkel crafted Europe’s response to varying crises and became the continent’s mouthpiece. Her handling of the eurozone crisis earned her support among the German people and respect from around the world. While several countries in the eurozone endured financial mayhem, Germany’s economy and standard of living remained stable. She guided the European Union through prudence and caution, ensuring the bloc’s survival.

Merkel earned numerous honors and awards throughout her career. Among other international recognitions, she was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 and was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 2015. Forbes magazine named her "The World's Most Powerful Woman" ten consecutive years. In April 2023, Merkel was presented with Germany's top order of merit, a special issue of the Grand Cross (Großkreuz) first class, for her contributions as chancellor.

Much media attention was also given to Merkel's status as a groundbreaking female politician and arguably the most powerful woman in the world during her time as chancellor. Upon reelection to her third term in 2013, Merkel became the longest-serving elected female leader in Europe. She was often compared to former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Both were scientists before becoming politicians, and both had rigid leadership styles.

Personal Life

While a student at the University of Leipzig, Merkel met fellow physics student Ulrich Merkel. The two were married in 1977 and divorced five years later. In 1998, she married Joachim Sauer, a quantum chemistry professor.

Bibliography

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