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A30    world news
               Diaranson 8 December 2021

                             End of an era: Germany’s Merkel bows out after 16 years


                                                                      of  our  time,”  Merkel  said,                            words.  She  once  lamented
                                                                      identifying  those  as  climate  “We have been able to over-  that  she  couldn’t  put  on  a
                                                                      change,  digitization  and  mi-  come many crises in a spirit  poker face: “I’ve given up. I
                                                                      gration.                     of respect, in an effort always  can’t do it.”
                                                                                                   to  find  common  solutions”
                                                                      That  stance  was  a  strong  she  said.  “But  we  also  have  She  wasn’t  intimidated  by
                                                                      counterpoint to former U.S.  a  series  of  unresolved  prob-  Putin’s  style.  The  Russian
                                                                      President  Donald  Trump,  lems, and there are big unfin-  president  once  brought  his
                                                                      with  whom  she  had  a  diffi-  ished tasks for my successor.”  Labrador  to  a  2007  meeting
                                                                      cult relationship. At their first                         with  Merkel,  who  later  said
                                                                      meeting in the White House  That’s  also  true  at  home,  she  had  a  “certain  concern”
                                                                      in  March  2017,  when  pho-  where  her  record  —  domi-  about dogs after having once
                                                                      tographers shouted for them  nated  by  the  crises  she  ad-  been bitten by one.
                                                                      to  shake  hands,  she  quietly  dressed and including a pan-
                                                                      asked Trump “do you want to  demic that is flaring anew as  She  was  never  the  most
                                                                      have a handshake?” but there  she steps down — is a mixed  glamorous of political opera-
                                                                      was  no  response  from  the  bag.  She  leaves  Germany  tors, but that was part of her
                                                                      president, who looked ahead.  with  lower  unemployment  appeal – the chancellor con-
                                                                                                   and  healthier  finances,  but  tinued  to  take  unglamorous
                                                                      Merkel  dismissed  being  la-  also  with  well-documented  walking  holidays,  was  occa-
            (AP)  —  Angela  Merkel  the  German  Marshall  Fund      beled  as  “leader  of  the  free  shortcomings  in  digitiza-  sionally seen shopping at the
            was  assured  of  a  place  in  of  the  United  States’  Berlin
            the history books as soon  office.  “Undoubtedly  she’s   world”  during  that  period,  tion  —  many  health  offices  supermarket and lived in the
                                                                      saying leadership is never up  resorted  to  fax  machines  to  same Berlin apartment as she
            as she became Germany’s  elevated Germany’s image in                                   transmit data in the pandem-  did before taking the top job.
            first female chancellor on  the world.”                   to one person or country.    ic — and what critics say was
            Nov. 22, 2005.                                                                         a lack of investment in infra-  Named  “The  World’s  Most
                                         “When  she  first  came  onto   Still, she was viewed as a cru-
            Over  the  next  16  years,  she  the  scene  in  2005,  a  lot  of   cial  leader  in  the  unwieldy  structure.   Powerful Woman” by Forbes
                                                                                                                                magazine  for  the  past  10
            was  credited  with  raising  people  underestimated  her,   27-nation EU, famed for her   She  made  progress  in  pro-  years in a row, Merkel steps
                                                                      stamina  in  coaxing  agree-
            Germany’s profile and influ-  but she grew in stature along                            moting  renewable  energy,  down with a legacy of break-
            ence, working to hold a frac-  with  Germany’s  role  in  the   ments in marathon negotiat-  but  also  drew  criticism  for  ing through the glass ceiling
                                                                      ing sessions.
            tious  European  Union  to-  world,”  David-Wilp  added.                               moving  too  slowly  on  cli-  of  male  dominance  in  poli-
            gether,  managing  a  string  of  Others  in  Europe  and  be-  “Ms. Merkel was a compro-  mate change. After announc-  tics — although she also has
            crises and being a role model  yond “want more of an active
            for women.                   Germany to play a role in the   mise machine,” Luxembourg  ing in 2018 that she wouldn’t  faced criticism for not push-
                                                                                                   seek  a  fifth  term,  she  failed  ing  harder  for  more  gender
                                                                      Prime  Minister  Xavier  Bet-
                                         world  —  that  may  not  have                            to secure a smooth transition  equality.
            Now that near-record tenure  been the case before she was   tel  said  recently.  When  ne-
                                                                      gotiations were blocked, she  of  power  in  her  own  party,
            is ending with her leaving of-  in office, necessarily.”
            fice at age 67 to praise from                             “mostly  found  something  which  slumped  to  defeat  in  Obama  said  that  “so  many
                                                                                                                                people,  girls  and  boys,  men
                                                                      that unites us to move things  Germany’s  September  elec-
            abroad  and  enduring  popu-  In a video message at Merkel’s                           tion.                        and women, have had a role
            larity  at  home.  Her  desig-  final EU summit in October,   along.”                                               model  who  they  could  look
            nated successor, Olaf Scholz,  former U.S. President Barack
            is  expected  to  take  office  Obama thanked her for “tak-  That  was  on  display  in  July  The  incoming  governing  up  to  through  challenging
                                                                      2020,  when  EU  leaders  coalition  under  Scholz  says  times.”
            Wednesday.                   ing  the  high  ground  for  so                           it  wants  to  “venture  more
                                         many years.”                 clinched a deal on an unprec-
            Merkel,  a  former  scientist                             edented 1.8 trillion-euro ($2  progress”  for  Germany  after  Former  President  George
                                                                                                                                W. Bush, whose relationship
                                                                                                   years of stagnation.
            who grew up in communist  “Thanks  to  you,  the  cen-    trillion)  budget  and  corona-                           with  Merkel’s  predecessor,
                                                                      virus  recovery  fund  after  a
            East Germany, is bowing out  ter  has  held  through  many                             But Germans’ overall verdict  Gerhard  Schroeder,  soured
            about a week short of the re-  storms,” he said.          quarrelsome  four-day  sum-  appears  to  remain  favorable.  over  the  latter’s  opposition
                                                                      mit.
            cord for longevity held by her                                                         During  the  election  cam-  to  the  U.S.-led  war  in  Iraq,
            one-time  mentor,  Helmut  Merkel  was  a  driving  force   At  her  107th  and  last  EU  paign, from which she largely  said that “Angela came in and
            Kohl, who reunited Germany  behind EU sanctions against                                                             changed that completely.”
            during his 1982-1998 tenure.  Russia over its annexation of   summit,  European  Council  was  absent,  Merkel’s  popu-
                                                                      President  Charles  Michel  larity  ratings  outstripped
                                         Crimea and backing of sepa-  told Merkel: “You are a mon-  those of her three would-be  “Angela Merkel brought class
            While  Merkel  perhaps  lacks  ratists  in  eastern  Ukraine,   ument.”  A  summit  without  successors. Unlike her seven  and dignity to a very impor-
            a    spectacular   signature  and also spearheaded so-far-  her  would  be  like  “Rome  predecessors in postwar Ger-  tant  position  and  made  very
            achievement, the center-right  unfinished  efforts  to  bring   without  the  Vatican  or  Paris  many, she is leaving office at a  hard decisions ... and did so
            Christian Democrat came to  about  a  diplomatic  solution   without the Eiffel Tower,” he  time of her choosing.   based upon principle,” Bush
            be viewed as an indispensable  there.  She  was  regarded  as   added.                                              told  German  broadcaster
            crisis  manager  and  defender  being “able to have a dialogue                         Merkel’s  body  language  and  Deutsche  Welle  in  July.  He
            of  Western  values  in  turbu-  with   (Russian   President   The  appreciation  from  her  facial expressions sometimes  described  her  as  “a  compas-
            lent times.                  Vladimir) Putin on behalf of   counterparts  was  genuine,  offered  a  glimpse  of  her  re-  sionate leader, a woman who
                                         the West,” David-Wilp said.
            She  served  alongside  four                              although  there  was  plenty  actions  that  went  beyond  was not afraid to lead.”
                                                                      of  friction  over  the  years.
            U.S. presidents, four French  She was steadfast in pursuing   Merkel always sought to keep
            presidents, five British prime  multilateral  solutions  to  the   the EU as tightly knit as pos-
            ministers  and  eight  Italian  world’s problems, a principle   sible  but  strongly  defended
            premiers.  Her  chancellor-  she  set  out  at  a  military  pa-  Germany’s interests, clashing
            ship  was  marked  by  four  rade in her honor last week.  with Greece during the debt
            major  challenges:  the  global                           crisis  and  disagreeing  with
            financial crisis, Europe’s debt  The  global  financial  crisis   Hungary,  Poland  and  others
            crisis,  the  2015-16  influx  of  and the migrant influx “made   over  their  refusal  —  unlike
            refugees  to  Europe  and  the  clear  how  much  we  depend   Germany — to host migrants
            coronavirus pandemic.        on  cooperation  beyond  na-  arriving in Europe.
                                         tional  borders  and  how  in-
            “It’s  undeniable  that  she’s  dispensable   international   Merkel said she was bowing
            given  Germany  a  lot  of  soft  institutions  and  multilateral   out of the EU “in a situation
            power,”  said  Sudha  David-  instruments are to be able to   that definitely gives me cause
            Wilp,  the  deputy  director  of  cope with the big challenges
                                                                      for concern as well.”
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