Tschüss Angela Merkel

27/09/2021
As Angela Merkel steps down as Germany's Vice Chancellor after four historic terms and 16 years, we celebrate and honour the rein of this humble and considred leader with 20 facts you may not know.
 
 
  1. She was Germany’s first female Chancellor.
  2. She was named Forbes “most powerful women in the world” 10 times and Times' person of the year in 2015.
  3. Merkel allow the German parliament to introduce and pass new legislation to create a legal third-gender option on identification documents.
  4. She grew up in the former Soviet backed East Germany.
  5. In 1990 Merkel was appointed into a junior cabinet position – Minister for Women and Youth.
  6. She recently acknowledged that electoral gender quotas, in which a party must nominate a minimum per cent of female candidates, might be necessary to reach gender parity.
  7. She speaks fluent Russian.
  8. Merkel is a trained scientist with a degree in physics and a doctorate in quantum chemistry.
  9. Initially Merkel wanted to teach Russian languages and physics, but became a physicist.
  10. She was a bartender at university.
  11. For her strong values and commitment to democracy and sound governance, Merkel was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. She received the honor from former US President Barack Obama.
  12. Merkel can cook and is regularly spotted at the supermarkets in Berlin, where she pays for her groceries in cash (pre Covid).
  13. She was dubbed the "climate Chancellor" in 2007 for championing the issue with the Group of Eight leaders and for pushing through a switch to renewable energy in Germany.
  14. Her leadership is marked by her steely reserve, from standing up to Donald Trump to allowing more than a million Syrian refugees into Germany.
  15. Her partnership with her husband is sacrosanct to Merkel, with her once saying “I’d rather cancel three appointments than endanger my relationship”.
  16. Her nickname from German supporters in “Mutti”, which means “Mommy”.
  17. She once told Nigerian President Goodluch Jonathan that she makes breakfast for her husband every morning.
  18. Throughout her tenure she took a critical approach toward Russia and China on human rights and caused outrage in Beijing in 2007 by meeting the Dalai Lama. 
  19. Merkel was bitten by a dog in 1995 and has since be mortally afraid of dogs.  Peutin has been known to use dogs to try and intimidate her.
  20. In a recent interview Merkel betrayed no emotion about her impending departure, merely noting: "You usually only notice what you miss once you no longer have it."
 
 
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