Unsolved Mysteries

Goodbye to Angela Merkel

Having been chancellor for sixteen years, Germans are now preparing to say “auf wiedersehen” to Angela Merkel. The 2021 German federal election was held on the 26th September to elect the members of the 20th Bundestag. Everyone is now wondering, what will be in store for Germany after this big change in parliament?

Serving as Chancellor of Germany since 2005, Merkel is the first female chancellor of Germany, previously being described as the ‘most powerful woman in the world’. After the German reunification in 1990, she was elected to the Bundestag, and then was appointed as Minister for Women and Youth in 1991. Having then become Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, she was elected the party’s first female leader. Emphasising international cooperation, playing a crucial role in managing the global financial crisis, and focusing on future energy development; Angela Merkel has made a huge difference, both in Germany and worldwide, over her reign in the last sixteen years. She has had a big impact in global politics –through the Eurozone crisis, the migrant crisis, and now the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first thing that springs into many people’s minds when thinking about Germany is Angela Merkel, as she has been a constant figurehead throughout the past sixteen years. Many Germans respect her and will miss her, saying that she has lead them well through these times. One German resident said: “she gave us a feeling of security”, whilst another said: “she showed the girls of my generation that it’s possible for a woman to become a leader”. Admired for her rationality, her level-headedness, her willingness, and the amount of hard work she put into her job, some people are worried about what will happen when she’s gone. Many Germans have doubts as to whether the new candidates will be able to step up to the job, having said that they believe that “she will leave a hole”. Many who are concerned about what will happen in the future are the younger generations: ‘Generation Merkel’, who have never known any other prime minister during their lives. Young people have stated that they respect Angela Merkel; however, they also blame her for not preparing Germany enough for their future, on the environment and beyond. One sixteen year old said: “she has not prepared this country for change”.

Angela Merkel has been described as a “great crisis manager, but lacking vision for Germany’s future”. Being one of the wealthiest nations, Germany is well known for modern and efficient buildings, and vast improvements in technology. However, there are some matters that have already shown up, which will need to be addressed by the new Chancellor. Germany’s infrastructure is slowly wearing-out, and internet access needs desperate attention: one-in-three German villages has bad connectivity. This has proven to be a big problem during the pandemic with everyone working from home. One citizen said that Germans have felt that they lived in a country of ‘stability and prosperity’, and everything seemed to be ‘running smoothly’, but that the pandemic has uncovered some weaknesses. Digital infrastructure needs improving; Germany’s manufacturing industries (particularly the car industry) have increasingly depended on the Chinese market, this causes problems because Germany is now falling behind on innovations of artificial intelligence, the sharing economy, and electrical cars. Some believe that Germany is behind on the technological trends and desperately needs to catch up. This is something that the next Chancellor will need to deal with, and there will be many impacts from it. To add to that, since the migrant crisis in 2015, when Merkel allowed over a million Syrian refugees into Germany, equality and integration have been key discussion points. It has caused many issues that are not going away, and many will remember her for causing this problem. 2

Angela Merkel has proudly led Germany throughout the last sixteen years, and she has remained popular around the world during this time. However, people are now beginning to look forward and wonder what is next for Germany. Being the EU’s richest and most influential country, whilst also being a very important country globally, other countries will be wondering what is next as well. Soon, we will find out the answers to many questions: ‘what will Germany’s role be in Europe?’, ‘what will its attitude to America be?’, ‘will it invest in Europe?’, and ‘what about the relationships with China and Russia?’. It is “auf wiedersehen” to Angela Merkel, but “hallo” to a new era of Germany.

- Hannah K (L6)