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Angela Merkel celebrates her 70th birthday on July 17. Great achievements, but also mistakes during her time as Chancellor remain.
Berlin – Angela Merkel, once the most powerful woman in the world and German Chancellor for 16 years, turns 70 on Wednesday (July 17). There are numerous birthday greetings, but also criticism.
Union parliamentary group vice-chairman Jens Spahn (CDU) draws an ambivalent conclusion about Merkel’s chancellorship. With today’s knowledge, the Union would decide differently on three issues, Spahn told the Editorial Network Germany (RND). He sees the biggest mistakes of Merkel’s time as Chancellor as:
- Merkel’s handling of the refugee crisis in 2015
- Merkel’s dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin
- The phase-out of nuclear energy under the Merkel government
Merkel’s “We can do it” during the refugee crisis goes down in history
When many refugees, mainly Syrians, came to Germany via Hungary and Austria in the late summer of 2015, Merkel decided not to close the German borders. Spahn criticizes today: “The mass irregular migration since 2015 has destabilized and overwhelmed German society.”
When Merkel gave the green light to accept people stranded in Hungary, first tens and then hundreds of thousands came to Germany. The initial willingness to help soon turned into a thorn in the side. The Chancellor was sometimes called a “traitor to the people”. “Merkel must go” was chanted by Pegida at their demonstrations.
At her summer press conference in 2015, Merkel responded to the anger of many citizens with the brief statement: “We can do it.” This also met with displeasure from the sister party CSU and Horst Seehofer. The relationship between the Union parties was strained from then on. The AfD grew steadily, entered the Bundestag in 2017 and can now, according to Election polls for the state elections in East Germany Give hope for first place.
Merkel was not naive towards Putin
Spahn sees another mistake made by Merkel during her time as Chancellor: “We should have dealt with Putin’s Russia very differently from 2014 at the latest.”
During her time as Chancellor, Merkel met with Putin more often than any other European head of government. It was probably to her advantage that, like Putin, she grew up in the Eastern Bloc and the two could communicate in both Russian and German.
Angela Merkel |
July 17, 1954 |
CDU |
2005 to 2021 |
Joachim Sauer |
Meeting between Merkel and Putin in Sochi remains unforgettable
But Merkel also knew early on that Putin was struggling with Russia’s history and role in the world. The former Chancellor spoke about the war in Ukraine for the first time around two years ago. She said that the Russian President had already told her at a meeting in Sochi in 2007 that the worst event of the 20th century for him was the collapse of the Soviet Union. She replied that for her personally, this was the greatest stroke of luck. “It was already quite clear that this was a major disagreement,” said Merkel.
What will also remain unforgettable from the meeting in Sochi is how Putin let his Labrador dog “Koni” into the room and smiled smugly – knowing full well that Merkel was very afraid of dogs after being bitten by a dog.
Merkel herself admitted mistakes in dealing with Putin
In all these years, it has not been possible to “really end the Cold War,” Merkel said in 2022 about the relationship with Russia. It has not been possible to create a security architecture that could ultimately have prevented Putin’s attack on Ukraine.
Ukraine is also accusing the German ex-chancellor of having let Putin do what he wants for too long. Merkel’s decision to build the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline is also being criticized. Even after the Russian annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula Crimea she held on to it.
This is Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel was born in 1954 as the daughter of a pastor and a teacher in the Uckermark region of the former GDR and later became a physicist, where she also earned her doctorate. After the collapse of the GDR, she had a rapid political career.
Merkel entered the Bundestag for the CDU and soon became known as “Kohl’s girl”: In Helmut Kohl’s cabinet, she was first the Minister for Family Affairs and then the Minister for the Environment. She later took over the post of CDU General Secretary and the CDU Chairman, leaving several influential men behind her, including the current CDU leader Friedrich Merz.
Angela Merkel was Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 2005 to 2021. She has been named the most powerful woman in the world several times by Forbes magazine.
Merkel has been married to her husband Joachim Sauer since 1989. Merkel has no children of her own. However, her husband brought two sons from a previous marriage into the relationship. Today, Angela Merkel has retired from politics.
Angela Merkel will turn 70 on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. A documentary on ARD is currently highlighting the key moments of her career under the title “Angela Merkel – Fateful Years of a Chancellor”.
Merkel heralded a move away from nuclear energy after Fukushima
Looking back, CDU politician Jens Spahn sees the phase-out of nuclear energy as a serious mistake by Angela Merkel in terms of climate policy. Merkel announced the gradual move away from nuclear energy in 2011 in response to the nuclear disaster in Fukushima.
In 2023, the last nuclear power plants in Germany will be shut down – in the midst of a climate emergency and threatened energy security. While Merkel was applauded for her nuclear phase-out in 2011, it also brought her a lot of criticism in retrospect.
In view of the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, the CDU in particular insisted on keeping nuclear power plants in Germany running. However, the traffic light coalition under Olaf Scholz (SPD) went ahead with the phase-out of nuclear energy and instead allowed coal-fired power plants, which emit more CO₂, to run for longer.
Spahn also praises Angela Merkel’s achievements as Chancellor
But Spahn also pays respect to Merkel: In the first half of her chancellorship, she achieved a lot. She stabilized the pension system and introduced retirement at 67, mastered the financial crisis, doubled research spending and halved youth unemployment.
“Under Merkel, there was the longest upswing in the history of the Federal Republic,” said Spahn. With Merkel at the helm, the Union won many election victories and almost achieved an absolute majority in the 2013 federal election.
The former Chancellor reportedly wants to celebrate her 70th birthday in private and forego a big party. The official part is only planned for September 25th. Merkel will then attend the CDU board reception at the Academy of Sciences in Berlin.
Söder and Esken praise Merkel on her 70th birthday
SPD leader Saskia Esken acknowledged Merkel’s strong empathy on the occasion of her birthday. “What particularly impresses me about Angela Merkel is her special gift for looking for common ground in her dealings with people and for understanding the deeper motives of others,” Esken told the Editorial network Germany.
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) praised Merkel for her life’s work on her 70th birthday. “Congratulations on your 70th birthday – a great life’s work to the most important living political personality in Germany,” Söder told the dpa. He has “the utmost respect for how Angela Merkel has protected our country,” Söder said with regard to the corona pandemic. Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) also recently praised Merkel for her “refreshing normality.” (smu with dpa)
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