Berlin, Dec. 8 (BUS): Angela Merkel confirmed her place in the history books as soon as she became Germany’s first chancellor on November 22, 2005, according to the Associated Press.
Over the next 16 years, she was credited with raising Germany’s standing and influence, working to bring a divided European Union together, managing a series of crises and being a role model for women.
Now, that near-record period has ended with her leaving her post at the age of 67 to acclaim on the outside and her continued popularity at home. Her successor, Olaf Schultz, took office on Wednesday.
Merkel, a former scientist who grew up in communist East Germany, has fallen by about a week short of the longevity record set by her former mentor Helmut Kohl, who reunified Germany during his 1982-1998 term.
While Merkel may lack an astonishing feat, the center-right Christian Democrat has come to be seen as an indispensable crisis manager and defender of Western values in turbulent times.
She has worked with four US presidents, four French presidents, five British prime ministers, and eight Italian prime ministers. The chancellorship was marked by four major challenges: the global financial crisis, the debt crisis in Europe, the 2015-16 refugee influx into Europe, and the coronavirus pandemic.
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