It is useless to ask even those close to you where Merkel is. She is, and she is not. She does not exist at the residence of the Chancellor in Berlin; she has not been seen at meetings of the Bundestag for a long time. Party meetings in a narrow circle are held without it. And this is no wonder. Angela Merkel, who at one time managed to push Gelmut Kohl, the mammoth’s chancellor of German politics, from the chair, decides, probably, the most important issue in her life - to immediately resign or wait for the term of office.
Just today, exactly two years from the day the Big Coalition led by Merkel began its work. The balance is disappointing, primarily for the chancellor. The mass of unresolved issues and the low ratings of the coalition partners indicate possible early elections to the Bundestag. The New York Times sarcastically wrote that a "coalition of zombies" rules in Germany.
Pressure from the United States, a misunderstanding of the situation with Brexitis, the growth of anti-migrant sentiments - these are precisely the issues for which Merkel is personally responsible.
Merkel, of course, remembers the unfortunate departure of her "adoptive father" Helmut Kohl. Chancellor of the unification of Germany and the revival of Europe, Kohl was actually expelled in the wake of allegations of failure of his policy. It seems that Merkel inherits his predecessor in this.
About two weeks ago, rumors about her depressive perception of the situation in the country began to take shape. For the first time in the history of the party, a meeting of the CDU Presidium was held without Merkel. They say that upon learning of the non-invitation, Merkel recalled the quote attributed to King of Saxony Friedrich Augustus the Third: "Here you’ll take your shit yourself." But to sit in the chair of the chancellor, as Kohl did, for sixteen years, Merkel is unlikely to succeed, and she will leave ahead of schedule. Probably before Christmas.
One question remains - who?
Merkel, of course, is a child of her time, skillfully using her mathematical mind, the experience of living under socialism and capitalism and the ability to politically, on the verge of a foul, intrigue to eliminate competitors. When the young and green in all senses of the word, 35-year-old Angela Merkel entered big politics as the “Kolya girl”, she was told at the maximum the role of the third-rate minister. She is silent, but she says little at all, put on her mask and offered her way from the “girl” to the chairman of the CDU in less than ten years, replacing several ministerial chairs along the way. Then she easily beat Gerhard Schroeder, the Bavarian Steuiber, and began one by one to remove possible competitors. I’ll name a few names.
Roland Koch came to the highest posts in the state (head of government in Hesse) at the same time as Merkel, but in 2010, against the backdrop of internal intrigues in the party, he suddenly announced his complete departure from politics.
Christian Wulff became head of the Lower Saxony government, also at the same time as Merkel came. In 2010, at her request, he leaves his post and is elected president of the country, which makes his chances for the chancellor’s chair illusive. In 2013, on charges of petty bribe, resigned.
Franz Josef Jung - Minister of Defense, Minister of Labor. A promising and dynamic Jung was forced to resign due to a failed Bundeswehr operation in Afghanistan. He also left politics forever.
Friedbert Pfluger, State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense of the Merkel Government, deputy of the Bundestag. He resigned due to disagreement with the policy of the Chancellor.
The above men were promising candidates for the chancellor’s chair, worked in the Merkel team, but left their posts for minor reasons and disappeared from the political horizon.
All of them were members of the so-called Andean Pact.
Back in 1979, on a plane flying from Caracas to Chile, twelve young guys from the Young Christian Democrats group jokingly signed a document called the Andean Pact. Not to oppose each other, to support the creation of political power within the CDU - these and other rules are included in the document. All signatories of the pact have been strictly fulfilling their obligations throughout the years. Including in 2002, when all participants in the pact tried to unanimously prevent Merkel’s nomination for the post of chancellor.
Bottom line: all the "conspirators" have long been in political oblivion, and Merkel is still the chancellor.
However, the struggle for her chair is already in full swing. At least three candidates may qualify for the throne. This is the Minister of Defense and the chairman of the CDU party, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, nicknamed the ACC, the leader of the Bavarian CSU and the head of the Bavarian government, Marcus Söder, as well as the prominent businessman and politician Friedrich Merz. Everyone has chances and at the same time no one until Merkel leaves herself. ACC has shown itself to be weak in domestic politics, has not shown character, and its rating is at the very bottom of the table. Marcus Söder may dream of a chair, but the Bavarian has never become Chancellor, and he has zero chances. Friedrich Merz can compete and is strongly supported by American business, but this is what will prevent him from climbing the Olympus. Although he has more chances than the rest.
The forecast of the struggle for the survival or departure of Merkel has long been given in the adapted German Chancellor’s room.
“Three candidates went looking for good luck, one of them fell - this is bad luck!
Two candidates for the election are coming - one will remain. The second will be removed.
I was looking for the last advice from friends - there is no candidate. And there are no friends. ”
Problems and questions have been resolved in general - there are no worthy candidates for chancellor.
The author’s point of view may not coincide with the position of the publisher.