she s one of the world s most influential leaders. after 16 years as german chancellor, angela merkel is standing down. she has shaped european and global politics. what of her own country? what is angela merkel s germany? summer in berlin, and the end of an era. for the class of 2021, school days are done, new lives lie ahead. for germany, too,
you might even recognise parts of it it s often used, sometimes even by hollywood, as a backdrop for historical drama. but behind the facade, this place and many others like it in the former east, have a serious problem. when the iron curtain fell, people here were promised blooming landscapes. but 30 years on, opportunities are still fewer, salaries and pensions lower than the rest of the country. it s still hard to convince young people to stay. i came to talk to hannelore and herfriends. they all support germany s far right party, afd.
approach, in the long run, promises to be more efficient hideous german efficiency. will angela merkel be remembered as a great chancellor, do you think? i think so, yes. and, in the long run, people will see that these 16 years have been, if you sum it up, quite successful. not only economically, but also in shaping the country towards preparing it in the european and global sense for a future which will not be easy. that future, and its challenges, will fall to the new generation of politicians. and they, in turn, must listen to the voice of a new class of voters. now we have to stand up and say, ok, stop driving cars, stop flying to holiday, because we need to reduce
of the european commission, he worked closely with angela merkel through turbulent years. financial crisis, greek debt crisis, migrant crisis and brexit. she was. . . not easy to deal with. because, as a scientist, she was always reasoning in perspective. germany today is seen as a very peaceful, peace building country. merkel had, to some extent, an added value. she developed a kind of in the noble sense of the word a european feeling. she has, as a legacy, something people don t know, because after angela merkel, they will be no other german chancellor not being pro european. everyone knew that germany was the biggest amongst member states and that the german
change is coming. angela merkel, the only leader these youngsters have ever known, will no longer be running the country in which they ve come of age. we don t have a perfect democracy but i think we have a good democracy. every german citizen knows the common problems and i think in other countries, that is not the case. i love germany. it is, like, in my heart- and i never want to leave it. this country has changed significantly since these youngsters were born. come with me on a journey through merkel s germany. we ll explore the country she s shaped and the country she leaves behind. germany today one of the world s economic giants. this is the land that makes cars, chemicals