Source: CCTV news client
Merkel has led Germany for 16 years since 2005 as Chancellor of Germany for four consecutive times. On October 26, local time, Merkel's resignation ceremony was held in Germany, and German President Steinmeier officially handed over the notice of the end of his term to Merkel.
At the end of her 16-year term, Merkel officially stepped down as Chancellor of Germany
At the resignation ceremony on the same day, Steinmeier praised Merkel's 16-year tenure as chancellor and thanked her for her contributions over the years.
In addition to Merkel, Steinmeier separately sent notices of the end of his term to German Deputy Chancellor and Finance Minister Scholz and other ministers in Merkel's cabinet. With German political parties still negotiating the formation of a cabinet, Merkel will continue to perform her duties as chancellor, leading the caretaker government until the new cabinet is sworn in.
Merkel: Attaching Importance to Developing Relations with China During his tenure, he visited China 12 times
As an old friend of Chinese, Merkel has visited China 12 times during her 16 years as Chancellor of Germany, making her one of the most visited Western leaders. At the same time, she also advocated friendly cooperation with China, making important contributions to promoting the development of Sino-German and Sino-European relations, and Sino-German relations have continued to develop during her tenure.
The last EU summit in office The leaders of various countries applauded and bid farewell
On October 22, local time, German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended the last EU summit of her tenure in Brussels, and the EU official website specially uploaded a video of Merkel representing Germany in the past 16 years. At the summit, European Council President Michel delivered a speech, using "monument" and "compass" to describe Merkel's contribution to European integration. After the summit, the leaders of the world bid her farewell with applause.
"Crisis Chancellor" Merkel "Iron Lady" for 16 years
The most striking feature of Merkel's time was the constant crisis. Her performance in responding to the crisis has become her most eye-catching achievement and her greatest contribution to Germany and the European Union.
First term: Global financial crisis
In 2005, Merkel became Chancellor of Germany for the first time. In 2008, the global financial crisis broke out, and Merkel announced the largest economic stimulus plan in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, investing a total of up to 50 billion euros in public infrastructure, tax cuts and subsidies. As a result, Germany became the first country in the Western world to emerge from the crisis, which also established Merkel's reputation as a "crisis manager".
Second term: European debt crisis
In 2009, Merkel was re-elected, and soon after, a debt crisis that began in Greece swept across Europe. Merkel pushes the European Financial Stability Mechanism to work on the one hand, and on the other hand, it strictly enforces fiscal discipline, demanding that countries such as Greece cut their budgets and control social welfare spending. Because Germany is the largest economy in Europe and still has a well-functioning economy in the context of the European debt crisis, Germany has been pushed to the center of the European political scene, and the German government led by Merkel has almost dominated the EU's response to the crisis, which has also consolidated and enhanced Merkel's prestige.
Third term: Refugee crisis
In 2013, Merkel was re-elected, and in 2015, ongoing fighting in the Middle East and North Africa forced millions of refugees to cross the border into Europe, triggering a refugee crisis. Merkel's policy of "welcoming" refugees initially received popular support, but as refugees continued to pour in, Germany faced serious challenges in terms of capacity, refugee integration, and social stability, with growing popular discontent and criticism and the rise of populist parties.
Fourth term: COVID-19 crisis
In 2018, Merkel was re-elected for the last time, this time facing the COVID-19 crisis that swept the world. The scientific and rational attitude she has always advocated has been fully reflected in the fight against the epidemic, and she has been painstakingly advising people to wear masks, not to gather, and to maintain social distancing.
Advocate of multilateralism on the international stage
On the international stage, Merkel actively advocates multilateralism, and Germany under Merkel's leadership is an active participant in issues such as the Iranian nuclear issue, climate change response and international development cooperation.
In early December, a new prime minister is expected to be elected to form a new cabinet
Merkel officially stepped down, and Germany is about to usher in a new cabinet. After the German general elections on 26 September, on 15 October, the German Federal Electoral Commission announced the official results of the bundestag elections:
The SpDD of Germany received 25.7% of the vote, ranking first; Chancellor Angela Merkel's Union party, which ranked second with 24.1% of the vote; and the Greens and LDP received 14.8% and 11.5% of the vote, respectively, ranking third and fourth. On 21 October, the SPD, The Greens and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) formally launched negotiations to form a new government. The three parties expressed their hope to adopt a joint cabinet agreement by the end of November, and in early December, a new German chancellor and a new cabinet will be formed.