Angela Merkel makes a graceful exit

Dr. Jassim Taqui

DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, September 27, 2021: The legacy of Angela Merkel would also be remembered with respect and gratitude. During her 16 years in power, she added grace and aroma to both European and international politics.

During her first term as German chancellor, Angela Merkel had to deal with the economic and financial crisis of 2008, which helped forge her image as a defender of Germany's interests and her fellow citizens' savings. But there would be more challenges to come: the migrant crisis in 2015, and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. How will German history remember this scientist by training, who grew up in what was then East Germany, who defied the odds to become Germany's first woman chancellor? As Merkel prepares to bow out after 16 years in power, she ensured that German Social Democrats beat conservatives in a vote to decide Merkel's successor.

Germany's Social Democrats narrowly won Sunday's national election, projected results showed, and claimed a "clear mandate" to lead a government for the first time since 2005 and to end 16 years of conservative-led rule under Angela Merkel.

The center-left Social Democrats (SPD) were on track for 26.0% of the vote, ahead of 24.5% for Merkel's CDU/CSU conservative bloc, projections for broadcaster ZDF showed, but both groups believed they could lead the next government with neither major bloc commanding a majority, and both reluctant to repeat their awkward "grand coalition" of the past four years, the most likely outcome is a three-way alliance led by either the Social Democrats or Merkel's conservatives.

Agreeing on a new coalition could take months, and will likely involve the smaller Greens and liberal Free Democrats (FDP).