Because guided not only germany but europe through the headlines and cross currents of the changing world. We welcome and we honor the foreign term chancellor of germany for an excellent city on the lot. A standing ovation and an honorary doctorate for the woman who has led germany for nearly 14 years and appearance that had been announced by Harvard University with a glossy promotional trailer. A video with all the trappings of a hollywood blockbuster yet just a few months earlier the chancellor had announced she would not seek reelection visited yet on this 4th term will be my last as chancellor of the federal republic of germany. The announcement heralded the end of an era even as other World Leaders came and went until america remained a central figure for 13 years she had served as a mediator and crisis manager on the world stage. How could such a seemingly unassuming woman succeed in remaining in office for so many years. Being underestimated can be very useful at times because it takes a while to become clear that big things lie ahead. She thought she has a modest unpretentious demeanor and she has 0 interest in material things these 13 years as chancellor and 18 years ahead of the party shes remained completely free of scandal. Shes certainly been able to take advantage of the fact that germany places a very high value on stability. In a way i think america deserves some of the blame for the trouble in europe right a lot of people. Believe that it might not have happened i would say she has no strategy she has no strategic goal where she wants to take society and thats her true flight this is a cover stay with your money. Theres no red thread of conviction or there is is a pragmatics of the power. 2005 the polls had just closed in what appeared a dead heat but the incumbent chancellor Gerhard Schroeder seemed to short of victory. Do you seriously believe that my party will agree to an offer of talks under these circumstances after all is said she wants to be chancellor thats not get carried away. By nov 22nd the winner of the showdown was clear the newly elected. Chancellor at 51 she was the youngest ever to hold that position. Votes in favor 97. Her predecessor was not the only one who had underestimated her. Even. Now become germanys 1st democratically elected female head of government that sends a powerful message to many women and no doubt to some men as well. For us in germany to get used to the idea that was doing the job. She never made a song and dance about coming from the former east germany or being a woman that would have done nothing for her. Being a woman is not a political catch a great deal so i cant think of anything about that that you could explain by saying its because shes a woman. Theyre also men who focus on. Careful in their deliberations. Flashed anything it would have to be her distain for attention her concept of power also her tendency to avoid showy displays of power. Which she always saw as absurd. Furnish a feel for. Im good america was raised in the former communist east germany she spent a quiet untroubled childhood on the outskirts of the town of templin. Has been i grew up in the countryside which was one of the things that shaped me cause i clear up in a clergymans household and had tyrants i could discuss anything with. I was an upbringing with a lot of intellectual stimulation you know more than youd normally see in a small town in east germany and. There are you know she was born until a customer in hamburg west germany in 1954 a few weeks before her father except that a post as pastor in the east. Coast i was an ordinary child i might have had the odd tantrum or 2 but i wasnt particularly stubborn nor valiants in the baelish watch list. It was a childhood between 2 worlds raised as a christian under a communist regime. Like the 1980 s. Im going to america had a doctorate in physics and was working at the academy of sciences in east berlin her 1st marriage ended in divorce but she kept her former husbands last name marco. What was looking like a quiet life as a Research Scientist was interrupted on november 9th 1989. The wall dividing east from west germany fell. Down after she said to mean. Mother ive never been much of a civic activist so joining an activist movement isnt my thing she said shed also considered the social democrats in january 990 they still looked like they might do really well here but then she thought well make it on their own we need something new that was her pragmatic mind speaking and then came the east german Democratic Movement the democratic awakening which included pastor ryan a epa man she said its chaos there they need me to vomit. Soon thereafter in spring 1900 until america was appointed deputy spokesperson for the 1st and only democratically elected east German Government that was the turning point she joined the christian democrats the c. D. U. And began a rapid and grueling rise up the political ladder. Young a woman from the east a fresh face for chance to help west end male dominated c. D. U. Thats called protege merkel was appointed minister for women and youth in the 1st cabinet of the reunify germany in november 1909 a year after losing the chancellorship kohl was still the honorary chair and gruelling patriarch of the christian democrats but then came a scandal coast party the c. D. U. Had run an illicit slush Fund Involving donor contributions it was the biggest scandal in postwar german politics. Until america broke ranks and made a move that would rock the already shaken old guard. In a prominent daily she wrote an article proclaiming the end of the coal era. A few months later medical was party chairwoman. This was the moment she would later reveal when she 1st believe she could become chancellor. Lets make this mother figure party leader and send her packing after a year most to. Prove to be a huge miscalculation. She sent them packing. In 2005 and get a medical and her party had a narrow win her 1st government was a coalition of her christian democrats there were very insistent party the c. S. U. And the deposed social democrats it made little headway at 1st and was slow to implement reforms in her 1st 2 years america was a cautious leader critics said she was just muddled. Through. I meant im somebody who tends to decide round the late. Im often accused of being slow to get out of the starting block slow to take action of letting things train on. But for me its always important to work through all the possible options as to what should be done and not just as a theoretical exercise or a thought experiment i try to live with the. Maturity of it through going to turns to hesitate to. Wait for a majority opinion to emerge before taking a stand but sometimes she gets a job to makes a decision from one day to the next and its us about math. That goes 1st major challenges chancellor came during her 3rd year in office the Global Financial crisis required intensive management major banks were in danger of collapse and the merkel government provided billions of euros to save them. The chancellor assured the public that their deposits were safe. While her diplomatic touching talent for compromise were often interpreted at home as a weakness abroad they arent her respect and praise but the 2007 g 8 summit on germanys baltic coast medical succeeded with a mix of principle and persuasion in getting the assembled leaders to agree on a Climate Change strategy. She even brought on board us president george w. Bush not the most environmentally aware of contemporary statesman. Is essential its a very important quality to be able to engage with your counterparts and to signal to them i take you seriously. Im listening and i want to hear what you have to say. Thats what america looks heart. The shits for you underestimate her youve already long for she is always very very well prepared and she knows all the details. So you have to really know the material you want to have a serious discussion with her discourse on from. The 2009 general election saw the cd do c. S. You block post their 2nd worst showing in 60 years but they still managed to secure a coalition with their preferred partners the center right free democrats. Although the economy was struggling the new Government Cut taxes and took on record new debt i was but the dream turned sour as the coalition became beset with internal squabbles. Meaningful policymaking proved elusive important debates were overshadowed by rivalries within the coalition. For the chancellor it was an often frustrating experience. In late 2010 medicals government decided to extend the lifespan of germanys Nuclear Power plants. Just months later it made a dramatic u. Turn. And then also in fukushima happened the Nuclear Disaster in japan and within a week or 2 america had changed course on that and decided no were going to get out of Nuclear Power that upset a lot of people in our conservative party but upset a lot of people in german industry theyre afraid of Rising Energy costs but she did it was an emotional sort of reaction to the. Nuclear disaster in fukushima. Not just that i realized straight away that this would also affect us all and then i quickly decided that we would need at the very least a social consensus were guarding the use of nuclear energy. This is a moment that can and. I believe it was a kind of overnight decision. She decided to seize the opportunity and also to send a message to society and his age and her name would be associated with the decision to end Nuclear Power and shed end up in the history books she spoke. With in germany the fukushima disaster put an end to a discussion that had dragged on for years the longstanding Energy Policy debate seemingly vanished overnight. Merkels government decided to decommission Nuclear Plants by 2022 and to rapidly scale up the use of renewable energy. During merkels 2nd term the Global Financial and economic crisis remained a pivotal issue and developed into a euro crisis. In southern europe. States were in dire straits while greece appeared headed for bankruptcy. The german chancellor repeatedly insisted that greece will only receive a bailout if the country agree to reduce public spending and institute austerity reforms. That need to then mr president ladies and gentlemen a full its must be focused not on rushing in to help prematurely us. But on ensuring that the entire house is put in order. That stance faced little opposition within her own ranks unlike in greece as athens slashed Public Sector wages and pensions and fired Civil Servants protesters in greece singled out one person to blame until america is this she doesnt care at all what kind of images being drawn what she cares about is political consistency fishtank gains. This. In may 2013 towards the end of merkel 2nd term the n. S. A. Spying scandal broke. Details emerged of a widespread internet and telephone Surveillance Program run by washington for many and get a medical response was too little too late. To talk to him ever since we started to talk about the n. S. A. I have repeatedly told the american president that we dont spy on africans it gone. Comments were intended to show resolve but instead revealed impotence. It was only after learning that the n. S. A. Had also tune into her own cell phone that an indignant chancellor seemed to mean business you guys i think germanys entire government is cowardly and submissive so they dont dare stand up to the us. He says it was speaking as a private citizen i would say she was too restrained especially considering she had 1st hand experience of living under a dictatorship. But met Approval Ratings were barely dented by the n. S. A. Scandal voters trusted her it seemed in part because she avoided conflict one day we called her the perfect chancellor for citizens who dont like trouble and dont want to be bothered by politics. With. But when it came to her own Political Party medical proved willing to turn her back on traditional positions. For some conservative stalwarts her decisions to phase out Nuclear Power and to military conscription and support a National Minimum wage were hard to stomach. This is to infer is an entirely different era from that of helmut kohl or connor i dont know. Its hard to believe its. But you have to remember she didnt make those changes on. The c. D. U. In line with reality. By its fans and this was this her own accomplishment or just a reflection of the changing times both sides and that side times had changed and was setting a different agenda from that of his predecessors. Over the years. In keeping her private life out of the public gaze she never felt the urge to play to the cameras. Down to earth style contributed significantly to her popularity. People see 3 things in her that they like things that dont involve her strategy your goals. She has a modest unpretentious demeanor. 0 interest in material things thats both unusual and appealing. The 2013 general election represented a landslide victory for the christian democrats although it did mean returning to a coalition with the s. P. D. 3rd term in office would see the economy continue its recovery. On other fronts however the chancellor had major crises to contend with. Early 2014 dramatic scenes in ukraine european protests on my don square in the capital kiev led to the ousting of president Viktor Yushchenko fitch. Russia proceeded to annex the Crimean Peninsula in Eastern Ukraine and rebels and separatists rose up against the government with the support of moscow. Chancellor issued a sharp protest against that intervention and endorsed economic sanctions against russia. Together with french president Francois Hollande she embarked on a Difficult Mission in the capital of bella ruth minsk. U. S. President barack obama left to 2 european leaders to tackle the crisis with russia and try to establish dialogue between the warring parties. Levis. If you compare a word politics to a game of chess she knows which pieces to move and when. She feels theres no point in saying thats an ugly chess piece i want nothing to do with it. She knows that wont move the chess game forward at times like that she does what needs to be done. Over the years she has become a highly respected figure of authority on the international stage. Perhaps thats because of her political style tends to avoid issuing hasty if the news about rights and wrongs was sufficient even at the International Level she prefers to weigh up all the options and reflect on them this is a big in the. Last moment. But when she does make a decision its a sustainable one and theyve done and tried to get tough and witty tweaked the. Medical help to bring the warring sides to the negotiating table the result was a ceasefire albeit a fragile one. In early 2015 the greek crisis returned to the spotlight the newly elected government rejected further austerity measures the coalition of the left wing cerise the party and right wing nationalists announced its intention to renegotiate all the deals their predecessors had made with International Creditors greece seemed on the brink of exiting the euro zone. After protective negotiations the euro Group Finance ministers agreed to a compromise a package with strings attached. Merkel and her finance minister a vote of conscience persuaded greece to abandon its initial objections and agreed to further reforms greeces potential departure from the euro the dreaded grex it at once again been averted. She had. A gun stock she argued her case very vigorously and i think that points to an essential feature of Angela Merkels approach to politics. She sticks to her guns and expects others to make the commitments they for me. The biggest mistake im. Putting on and work on show a maid is in their dealings with greece because they broke with the principle of solidarity. Greece miracle with real villain by a lot of people but she had the courage to keep going to greece and talking to people and she tried to explain the situation in greece and the end of the day greece was able to stay in the euro zone. Shortly after the prospect of a greek euro exit appeared resolved another crisis emerged in summer 2015 that overshadowed all others hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees were passing through turkey and greece heading for central and western europe and especially germany. Most were fleeing the brutal war in syria. In the face of a humanitarian disaster in the making. Took a very clear stand. And germany is a strong country. As we deal with these issues has to be we have achieved so much we can do it if we encounter obstacles well overcome them. Germany was to welcome refugees with open arms and initially at least the mood in the country was a positive one. The world caught a glimpse of a new unfamiliar germany and chancellor within weeks her International Image was transformed from hardline austerity advocate to the chancellor of welcome there was even talk of her winning the nobel peace prize. Theres something i think america is going to be remembered about for a long long time around the world the reputation of germany went through the roof after that it was like especially in those states with oh my god they let in a 1000000 refugees in 2015 you got to be kidding me. But that example didnt go down so well in southeastern europe where refugees werent so welcome hungry sooner recta the border fence while various balkan states fast tracked the new arrival straight through to austria and germany. So much for the solidarity between european nations the brief summer of exuberant welcome came to a sudden end. And meanwhile merkel found herself accused of positively inviting refugees to come. Through. There were 2 groups 2 responses those who drew inspiration and encouragement who felt called upon to remain active in the refug