Angela Merkel, a German destiny
Audio 19:30
German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a press conference in Tirana, Albania, September 14, 2021 © Franc Zhurda / AP
By: Achim Lippold Follow
20 mins
Chancellor Angela Merkel bows out.
After 16 years at the helm of Germany, the most powerful woman in the world, according to
Time
magazine
leaves a country prosperous and respected on the international stage.
For a chancellor belonging to the Christian-conservative party CDU, she took astonishing decisions, such as the exit from nuclear power (after the Fukushima disaster), or even the reception of almost 1 million refugees in 2015. Angela Merkel is the first woman and the first East German to have acceded to the Chancellery.
Mocked at the start of her career for her "look", she nevertheless managed to impose herself in a male universe with a rare determination.
It has changed the face of the country, but also that of its party, the CDU, which has become more centrist.
To understand the Chancellor and some of her political choices, you have to know where she comes from.
We are following in his footsteps in East Germany.
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"Angela Merkel, a German destiny", a Great report by Achim Lippold. Director: Laurie Plisson.
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