Perhaps no one politician in post-war history of Germany is not underestimated as much as the daughter of a pastor from the East German province of Angela Merkel (Angela Merkel). Not photogenic, devoid of charisma and outstanding oratory abilities… However, the Chancellor of Germany is the new, fourth, term. In the parliamentary elections in Germany on September 24th, her party has all the chances to win, and Merkel, respectively — to remain in the Chancery office. What the phenomenon of Angela Merkel?
Childhood and adolescence in the GDR
Parents of Angela Merkel, née Kasner, was not the opposition or dissidents. Although in the GDR children from religious families (his father Merkel was a pastor) was given special attention, special socialist regime deprivation it did not. “My childhood was cloudless” — confessed later German Chancellor.
At school she drew attention with success in mathematics and Russian language. Studying at the physics Department of the University of Leipzig, became acquainted with fellow student Ulrich Merkel (Ulrich Merkel) and married him. The marriage quickly disintegrated, but the name it has retained.
“Kohl’s Girl”
In politics, Angela Merkel, has come in 35 years and became very quickly move up the career ladder — from the moment that was presented to the then Chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl (Helmut Kohl). It was seen as a candidate to the post of Minister for women and youth. It was rumored that in the end she got the job only because he was “young, female and from East Germany.”
All true, but Merkel was the obvious talents that your peers have noted in youth — the ability to establish contacts with different people, to listen to the interlocutors. For many it was a surprise how confident Merkel moved forward, including the party line. In 1991 Kohl Merkel put in the position of his Deputy in the Christian democratic Union (CDU).
In 1994, becoming the Minister of environmental protection, Merkel drew attention to themselves by firing a Deputy, remaining her from the previous head of this Department. Then for the first time in the press talking about the fact that “Kohl’s girl” demonstrates confidence. And although at the moment it is still not very well versed in how the political mechanisms in Germany, it proved to be pretty tough player of the political establishment, dominated by men.
“Eurocenter”
The departure of Helmut Kohl politics caused by the scandal over illegal funding of the CDU, Angela Merkel, was used as a chance to come to the forefront. In 2000 she was elected Chairman of the party. And the election to the Bundestag 2005, the CDU won with a minimum margin, and Merkel became Chancellor of Germany. She, however, had to create a “Grand coalition” with the social Democrats (SPD). Then, her victory seemed fragile, and their own perspectives of the Chancellor is vague.
But for the past 17 years as Angela Merkel Amjad directs the Christian Democrats and 12 of them heads the government of a country with one of the leading economies in the world. During this time she managed to either take out the intra-party competitors-men or build them into your system. And all this quietly, without scandals. “She rearranges the pieces on the chess Board so that no one was dangerous for her,” explains biographer of Merkel, the journalist Jacqueline Boysen (Boysen Jacqueline).
The Chancellor has withstood the financial crisis of 2008, often playing in the international arena the role of a crisis Manager. And quite successfully, as time has shown: by 2017, not only Germany, but came to Europe in good economic shape. In the EU, finally, reduced unemployment, and major European economies are showing growth.
Legendary pragmatism
About the pragmatism of Angela Merkel is legendary. “She makes decisions on the basis of figures, data and facts, easily forgetting about ideological attitudes of his party, when arguments speak in favor of any step,” said Jacqueline Boysen. Perhaps the most famous example of pragmatic Merkel — the findings, from the accident at Japanese nuclear power plant “Fukushima”. A former supporter of nuclear energy, the Chancellor quickly turned into her opponent. Many of the speed with which she made this decision, did not like it, but now it’s a fact: Germany is gradually closing their nuclear plants.
And although many party members do not believe the soul Merkel of the Christian democratic Union and accuse it of bias of the party in the center of the political spectrum, not to say that the pragmatism of the former “Kohl’s girl”, has long turned into a “mother” (as she’s called behind her eye) ever doing real damage.
However, over the years of pragmatism became the second person: the man almost disappeared behind the facade of the Chancellor, as noticed recently, the weekly Der Spiegel. The main characteristics of Merkel, which give her associates — the cold calculation and the desire to keep everything under control.
The last time the Chancellor surprised the Germans in 2015, when speaking about the mass influx of refugees, repeated several times the famous first sentence: “We can do it!” Someone was encouraged, someone is outraged. As if I had not belonged to her then-optimism, but also with the crisis of refugees to the German authorities gradually manages to cope.
But it will not be predictable thrift Merkel, the main drawback in the struggle for the post of Chancellor and a social Democrat Martin Schulz? The more that people like Schultz in many ways, her complete opposite. If it’s coming quietly alienation Merkel from her voters, which obviously, she can get bored, asks Der Spiegel. Elections to the Bundestag will take place in September, and, as shown by the latest polls, Merkel’s popularity has reached the same level as before the start of the migration crisis in 2015.
