Test Your Knowledge on Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel's Political Career and Background

Angela Merkel was the Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021, and the first female chancellor of the country.
Merkel was a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and served as Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2005 and as Leader of the CDU from 2000 to 2018.
During her tenure as Chancellor, Merkel was frequently referred to as the de facto leader of the European Union (EU), the most powerful woman in the world, and since 2016 the leader of the free world.
Merkel was born in Hamburg in then-West Germany, moving to East Germany as an infant when her father, a Lutheran clergyman, received a pastorate in Perleberg.
Merkel obtained a doctorate in quantum chemistry in 1986 and worked as a research scientist until 1989.
Merkel entered politics in the wake of the Revolutions of 1989, briefly serving as deputy spokeswoman for the first democratically elected Government of East Germany led by Lothar de Maizière.
Following German reunification in 1990, Merkel was elected to the Bundestag for the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Merkel's Energiewende program has focused on future energy development, seeking to phase out nuclear power in Germany, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase renewable energy sources.
Merkel played a crucial role in managing the global financial crisis of 2007–2008 and the European debt crisis, negotiating the 2008 European Union stimulus plan.
In foreign policy, Merkel has emphasised international cooperation, both in the context of the EU and NATO, and strengthening transatlantic economic relations.
In October 2018, Merkel announced that she would stand down as Leader of the CDU at the party convention, and would not seek a fifth term as chancellor in the 2021 federal election.
In 2022, Merkel condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Angela Merkel's Political Career: From CDU Challenger to Chancellor of Germany
Merkel was considered more pro-market than her own party, advocating for German labour law changes such as removing barriers to laying off employees and increasing the allowed number of work hours in a week.
Merkel argued for a slower phase-out of nuclear power than the Schröder administration had planned.
Merkel advocated for a strong transatlantic partnership and German-American friendship, supporting the 2003 invasion of Iraq and criticising the government's support for Turkey's accession to the EU.
Merkel won the CDU/CSU nomination as challenger to Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in the 2005 national elections, but the campaign suffered from confusion over economic competence.
Merkel became Chancellor of Germany in 2005 after forming a grand coalition with the SPD due to neither party having enough seats to form a majority in the Bundestag.
Merkel was re-elected in 2009 with an increased number of seats and formed a coalition with the FDP, but the term was overshadowed by the European debt crisis.
Merkel won a decisive victory in the 2013 federal election but could not form a coalition with the FDP, leading to a CDU/CSU-SPD grand coalition.
Merkel's approval rating fluctuated during her second term, dropping to 54% in October 2015 during the European migrant crisis.
Merkel led her party to victory for the fourth time in the 2017 federal election, but both CDU/CSU and SPD received a significantly lower proportion of the vote than in 2013.
Merkel formed a third grand coalition with the SPD in 2018 and announced that she would not run for re-election in the 2021 federal election.
Merkel's policies on immigration and refugees sparked debate within Germany, with her government suspending European provisions in 2015 and processing over 1.1 million asylum applications from Syrian refugees.
Merkel's policies on immigration and refugees also spurred right-wing electoral preferences across Germany, with the Alternative for Germany gaining 12% of the vote in the 2017 German federal election.A Summary of Angela Merkel's Life and Legacy
Merkel is widely described as the de facto leader of the European Union throughout her tenure as Chancellor.
She has been praised for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.
Merkel's foreign policy has focused on strengthening European cooperation and international trade agreements.
She has been criticized for her association with the Wandel durch Handel policy, especially after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Merkel has enjoyed good relations with US presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama but criticized Donald Trump's leadership.
Merkel has met with China's President Xi Jinping several times and expressed concern about human rights violations in China.
She has been critical of Russia's aggression and violation of international law, and defended her legacy on Ukraine.
Merkel was twice named the world's second most powerful person, following Vladimir Putin, by Forbes magazine, the highest ranking ever achieved by a woman.
She has been married twice and has no children.
Merkel has a fear of dogs after being attacked by one in 1995.
In September 2021, Merkel said she considered herself a feminist.
Merkel is a Lutheran member of the Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg, and Silesian Upper Lusatia.Angela Merkel: Honours, Awards, Controversies, and Pop Culture References

Honours and Awards:

Merkel has received numerous national and foreign honours, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.
She has also been awarded several honorary degrees from universities around the world.
Merkel has been compared to Margaret Thatcher, and has been nicknamed "Iron Lady" and "Mutti" (German for "mother").
She is the first female German chancellor, the first to have grown up in the former East Germany, and the youngest German chancellor since World War II.
Merkel is also the first chancellor of the Federal Republic with a background in natural sciences.

Controversies:

Merkel was criticized for attending an award ceremony for a cartoonist who had triggered the Muhammad cartoons controversy.
She has been critical of Thilo Sarrazin's approach to integration problems with Arab and Turkish people in Germany.
Merkel's use of the term "alternativlos" (German for "without an alternative") to describe her measures addressing the European sovereign-debt crisis was named the Un-word of the Year.
She defended the surveillance practices of the National Security Agency, which led to online mockery of Merkel.
Merkel's statement "Islam is part of Germany" induced criticism within her party.
She has faced criticism for failing to take a tough line on China, and for supporting the European Commission's Green Deal plans.
Merkel's government admitted German firms to sell dual-use military equipment to Russia, however rejected arms exports to Ukraine.

Pop Culture:

Merkel has been portrayed in films, plays, and on sketch-comedy shows like Saturday Night Live and Tracey Ullman's Show.
She has sat annually for portraits and interviews by Herlinde Koelbl since 1991.
In 2016, a documentary film about Merkel's rise to power was produced by Broadview TV and MDR in collaboration with Arte and Das Erste.