Angela Merkel was never a charismatic politician.
When she first entered politics, she was known as "Kohl's little girl", silently following behind The longest-reigning Chancellor Kohl in German history, as if she were a small transparent that was not very brilliant.
Later, she became the first female chancellor in German history and was re-elected three times, gradually earning the title of "German Mommy" among her supporters because she gave the German people a mother-like sense of security.
Europeans used to call her the "Iron Lady," putting her on an equal footing with another "Iron Lady," Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female Prime Minister in history. Others have the title of "Queen of Europe", seeing her as the de facto leader of the European Union and the helmsman of Europe.
On June 11, 2021, local time, the Group of Seven Summit (G7 Summit) was held in Cornwall, UK. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Chancellor Mario Draghi, European Council President Michel and European Commission President von der Leyen met. Figure/IC photo
The international community has called her "the most powerful woman in the world" and "the last guardian of the Western liberal order." Especially when the then PRESIDENT of the United States Trump "made a big fuss about the West", Merkel was even called "the only adult in the room" by the Western media.
She didn't care about appearance, and a pot lid and a suit had almost become her trademark image. She rarely thinks about the future, and more often than not, she is immersed in one problem after another. She also rarely shows emotions, and most of the time gives people a calm, rational and down-to-earth feeling.
But she is undoubtedly one of the most influential political figures of the century. Merkel, 67, has spent half of her 30 years in politics as chancellor. She is the first female chancellor in German history, and if the negotiations to form a cabinet after the September 26 election are delayed until December, she will surpass Kohl as the longest-serving German chancellor.
And it all goes back to the year when the Berlin Wall fell.
"Cole's Little Girl"
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Merkel was 35 years old.
There is a "35-year-old crisis" in the workplace, but as a Doctor of Physics, Merkel had a stable and promising job at the East German Academy of Sciences.
She herself chose to give up the "iron rice bowl" and went to the unknown political arena.
In 2019, Merkel described what the Berlin Wall meant to her in a speech at Harvard University in the United States— "The Berlin Wall limits my opportunities, it really blocks my path." ”
Merkel was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1954, but soon moved with her family to the East German region, where she has lived ever since. When Merkel was 7 years old, Berlin erected a black wall more than 100 kilometers long, blocking the free movement of the people of East and West Germany.
Until the evening of November 9, 1989, angry Germans used hammers, hammers and other iron tools to tear down the Berlin Wall. The collapse of this wall also officially opened the door for Merkel to enter politics.
"There used to be only one black wall there, and suddenly a door opened," "And so did I, the time to step over that door has come." So I left my job as a scientist and went into politics. It was an exciting, magical moment. Merkel said in a speech at Harvard University.
On September 15, 2021, local time, In Bavaria, Germany, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the Planck Institute for Quantum Optics. Figure/IC photo
Merkel was not born into a political family, her father was a priest and her mother was a teacher. She did not get involved in politics when she was growing up, but worked at the Academy of Sciences as a student all the way to postdoctoral research. But her political path can be considered smooth sailing.
In 1989, Merkel joined the Democratic Awakening and soon became deputy speaker for the GDR's first and last freely elected government. In 1990, Merkel joined the CDU with the "Democratic Awakening".
On 3 October 1990, the two germans were reunified, and Kohl, then chairman of the CDU, became the first prime minister after german reunification. Surprisingly, When Kohl formed the new government, he appointed the then-obscure Merkel as Minister of Women and Youth, making Merkel, who had only been in politics for just a year, the youngest federal minister in Germany. In 1994, Merkel became the more influential Minister of Environment and Nuclear Energy Security.
The rapid political promotion contrasted sharply with Merkel's unruly and unspoken image, and some people began to call Merkel "Cole's little girl", thinking that she was just Cole's little follower, a political vase that was not dazzling.
Merkel clearly didn't like the discriminatory title. However, she did not blindly refute it, but worked steadily and gradually erased this title with actual work results.
"German Mommy"
Merkel's real name was Angela Kasner. In 1977, when she was still studying for a master's degree at the University of Leipzig, Merkel married her first husband, Ulrich Merkel, which is the origin of the surname "Merkel".
In 1982, Merkel divorced her husband. A few years later, she fell in love with Joachim Sauer, a professor at Humboldt University in Germany and a quantum chemist, and officially married in 1998. Neither marriage had children.
However, one of merkel's most well-known titles for the childless Germans is "Mommy".
From 1991 to 1998, Merkel worked in the Kohl government as a woman, youth, environment, etc., accumulating a wealth of political skills and achieving considerable political results.
It was also during this period that Merkel's position in the CDU rose and she ascended to the CDU presidency after Kohl's crushing defeat in the election and the outbreak of scandal.
As "Kohl's little girl", Merkel was ruthless in the face of this crisis in the CDU. At the end of 1999, when Kohl was exposed to a scandal of accepting political donations, Merkel subsequently published an article in the Frankfurter Zeitung titled "Kohl is a Black Sheep" and demanded that Kohl resign.
In the article, she said the CDU "needs to learn to walk", believing that she can fight political opponents without the "war horse" Kohl, trying to cut the CDU and the scandal-ridden Kohl apart.
Cole later commented on Merkel's move, saying, "I brought in my killer... I put a snake on my arm."
But after this battle, many people suddenly realized that the CDU's supreme leader, a woman who sometimes seemed shy and shy, had grown from a "little girl" to an "iron lady".
On November 22, 2005, Merkel took the highest stage in German politics, narrowly becoming the first female chancellor in German history.
Source: German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Figure/IC photo
No one expected that she would be in this position for 16 years. In the past 16 years, Merkel has led Germany through one crisis after another, making the German economy grow from a "sick man of Europe" to an engine of European stability, and also making Germany, a defeated country in World War II, an indispensable voice on the world stage.
But Merkel's image hasn't changed much. She is still low-key, rigorous, and not verbal, but extremely affinity. As a result, Merkel earned the title of "Mutti" among german supporters.
Zheng Chunrong, director of the German Research Center of Tongji University, told the Beijing News that the title of German mother directly reflects the trust of the German people in her.
During the 2013 German election, Zheng Chunrong went to Germany to investigate the election. According to his recollection, Merkel even told German voters directly that there was no need to vote, she would handle everything, and there was a sense of "with me, you can rest assured" old mother meaning.
"Prime Minister in Crisis"
But in fact, among the many titles, one of Merkel's most recognized titles is "Crisis Prime Minister".
At the beginning of her rise to power in 2005, Merkel said in her first prime ministerial speech, "Many people will say that this ruling coalition will only take small actions, not big moves." My answer was, 'Yes, that's what we're going to do.'"
But history has brought her a series of challenges. From the financial crisis of 2008 to the COVID-19 crisis of 2020, the crisis under Merkel never seems to stop.
During her first term, the financial crisis that swept the globe briefly left her in a trance. But she quickly took effective measures to add short-term jobs through "trade-in subsidies" and buffer the impact of the financial crisis on the real economy. As a result, she managed to win re-election in the 2009 election.
Soon, however, a euro debt crisis struck. Merkel wanders between the European Unions, working to save the euro. Because she firmly believes that "if the euro fails, Europe will lose."
She managed to save the euro, which she sees as one of the biggest achievements of her tenure. But because she bailed Greece on extremely harsh terms, she became the most hated politician in Greece and other countries. At the time, Greek newspapers likened her to Hitler, and almost every visit she visited was accompanied by massive protests.
If the European debt crisis made Merkel hated by some Europeans, the refugee crisis in 2015 became the biggest crisis she has faced since Merkel came to power.
"For the vast majority of the time, Merkel is a very rational person, and she rarely makes emotional decisions. But during the refugee crisis, Merkel made a decision that didn't quite resemble what she would have made. Zheng Chunrong described Merkel in his eyes.
In 2015, millions of Syrian refugees fled their homeland to Europe because of the civil war. Many countries were hesitant to accept large-scale refugees, but Merkel made a decision that stunned many: to open the country and accept refugees. She was adamant to the German public that "we can do it" (Wir schaffen das).
According to the German Interior Ministry, Germany has received more than 2.1 million refugees since 2015, making it the largest number of refugees in Europe.
This decision gave Merkel a lot of praise, and Time magazine, The Economist and others unanimously awarded her the title of Person of the Year. Then-US President Barack Obama once said, "She is on the right side of history on this issue."
But the decision also cost her dearly. Inside Germany, support for far-right parties opposing immigration has skyrocketed, while Merkel's support has plummeted, which has led her to adjust her refugee reception policy and make a pledge in 2018 not to run for CDU chairmanship.
It wasn't until the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 that the German people once again felt the benefits of Merkel's pragmatic approach as a scientist.
In this crisis, Merkel actively formulated epidemic prevention policies on the one hand, and on the other hand, she painstakingly persuaded the German people, and even shed tears in public rarely, and finally suppressed the epidemic in Germany relatively quickly. Now, while the crisis has not been completely eliminated, Merkel's support has once again risen to a high. Many said that if she continued to run, she would most likely win a fifth term.
On January 5, 2021, local time, Berlin, Germany, German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended a press conference to announce Germany's decision to tighten and extend the "hard lockdown order" until the end of January. Figure/IC photo
Merkel has won the title of "crisis manager" in one crisis after another. Some praised her pragmatic, steady leadership style, but others attacked her lack of vision and waited for a crisis to take action, which led to the more obvious division of the EUROPEAN Union.
"Queen of Europe"
The Economist magazine published an article on September 21 titled "The EU Will Miss Angela Merkel Very Much," calling Merkel "indispensable" to the EU.
In fact, because of its Nazi history, Germany has been very cautious about assuming the leadership role of the European Union and even the international community. But during Merkel's tenure, Germany became Europe's largest economy, and Merkel also led the EU through one crisis after another, becoming the de facto ruler of the EU, for which she won the title of "Queen of Europe".
Merkel's influence in Europe did not come overnight.
She is the longest-serving of Europe's current leaders. During her 16 years at the helm of Germany, France has changed 4 presidents, Britain has changed 5 prime ministers, Italy has changed 9 prime ministers, and even the European Union has changed 3 presidents.
More importantly, in a series of crises such as the financial crisis, the European debt crisis, the Ukraine crisis, the refugee crisis, the Brexit crisis, the COVID-19 crisis, etc., Merkel coordinated the EU countries to reach a consensus position, ensuring the unity and stability of the EU.
It is also Germany's performance in these crises that has gradually transformed the former EU "Franco-German axis" into a "German-French axis", and Merkel has become the default "actual leader" of the EU by the international community.
According to a survey released by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) think tank, most Europeans prefer Merkel to the position of "President of Europe" than French President Emmanuel Macron – although this is only a hypothetical question, Andrkel has previously said that she will not hold political positions at German or EU level after leaving office.
In this regard, ECFR believes that during Merkel's administration, Germany became the central force in Europe, committed to maintaining the unity of the European Union, rather than seeking its own hegemony, so it has gained the trust and support of the European people.
However, the BBC said that although Merkel was called the "Queen of Europe", her "crown" was somewhat bleak.
Critics have slammed her for always waiting until the last minute to act, for lacking a vision that has made the EU increasingly vulnerable. In the case of the European debt crisis, she kept Greece in the eurozone and ensured its stability, but many criticized her for "never thinking about what to do after saving the eurozone", which led to a deep north-south division within Europe.
This division was further highlighted in the subsequent refugee crisis and the new crown crisis, with euroscepticism in Spain, Italy and other countries rising, and many people attacked Merkel's European policy as fundamentally "Germany first".
But Merkel's role in promoting European integration and promoting the EU's strategic autonomy is beyond doubt. The French newspaper Echo even referred to Merkel as the "grandmother of Europe", believing that she not only strengthened Germany's influence in the world, but also made the European Union more independent in its relations with the United States.
Kurt Hubner, a european union liaison and professor of political science at the Institute of European Studies at the University of British Columbia in Canada, told the Beijing News that the EU will undoubtedly miss Merkel very much, because the EU without Merkel may be more divided internally, and there may be more populist supporters and EU skeptics in the future.
"Prime Minister of the Free World"
In 16 years in power, many people remember Merkel's diamond-shaped photo gesture. According to herself, this is to straighten her upper body and avoid hunchback.
But one of Merkel's most iconic photos is of a confrontation between Merkel and then-U.S. President Trump during the 2018 G7 summit.
In this photo, Merkel leans slightly, propped her hands on the table, facing then-US President Trump, looking imposing. Trump, on the other hand, sat in a chair with his arms crossed, looking up slightly at Merkel on the other side of the table. Around Merkel, there are many leaders such as Macron, May, and Shinzo Abe. Chinese netizens jokingly called the photo "the Six Gate Sect encircles and suppresses the Bright Peak."
On June 9, 2018, local time, Quebec, Canada, on the second day of the G7 summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other leaders of many countries talked with Trump. Figure/IC photo
Merkel was born and raised during the Cold War, and after entering politics, she experienced decades of rapid changes in the world order. She had therefore repeatedly stressed the importance of avoiding a recurrence of the cold war.
After the then PRESIDENT TRUMP took office, he blindly pursued the "America First" policy, pursued unilateralism and trade protectionism, and quarreled with his former allies.
But Merkel is one of the few Western leaders who will be "tough" with Trump. At a time when Trump explicitly threatened to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and demanded that NATO countries increase military spending, the German government made it clear that if the United States is unwilling to assume the responsibility of a global power, Germany will fundamentally rethink the relationship between Germany and the United States.
At a time when Trump continues to promote unilateralism, Merkel adheres to multilateralism and insists on solving problems through dialogue. In particular, merkel maintained communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a time when relations between the EUROPEAN Union and Russia were deadlocked over the Ukraine crisis.
For this reason, she has been called the "Prime Minister of the Free World", "the last guardian of the values of Western freedom", and even "the only adult in the room".
Li Chao, a researcher at the European Institute of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Beijing News that in handling major country relations, Merkel still adheres to a pragmatic and balanced policy, whether it is for the ally United States, or for the so-called competitors Russia and China.
"The two-sided nature of her great power policy is prominent, that is, the aspects of cooperation that should be cooperated, the areas of disagreement will not be ignored, and she will not let one side overwhelm the other, and can be balanced." Li Chao said, "This way of dealing with big countries is more suitable for the current international environment." I think this is also the contribution of Merkel or Germany in terms of great power interaction, the global landscape."
But Merkel doesn't seem indifferent to these titles.
On August 13, 2019, Merkel was asked at an event in Stralsund how she hoped history books would evaluate her 50 years from now.
Merkel paused for a few seconds, then replied with a smile: "She tried."
Beijing News reporter Xie Lian
Edited by Zhang Lei, Proofreader Fu Chunyan