China News Service, September 27. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), as one of the most influential women in the world today, Merkel has deeply imprinted Germany's internal affairs and diplomacy, leading Germany to grow into a pillar of the European economy, and An important force on the international stage.

She is also like a "stable and pragmatic manager", guiding Europe through major crises.

　　Now, with the end of the German election, the Merkel era has come to an end.

In addition to 16 years of prosperity and pivotal international status, what other challenges will Merkel's successors face?

Data map: German Chancellor Merkel.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Peng Dawei

European Spokesperson

"Whoever wants to talk to Europe will still receive the German Chancellor's office"

　　Former U.S. Secretary of State Kissinger regarded Merkel as a "European spokesperson."

He once described it as: "Whose phone number do you call when you want to talk to Europe?" For the past 16 years, the answer to this question has been Merkel.

　　Kovo Chap, professor of applied politics and international relations at Coventry University, believes that Merkel's greatest political legacy is the consistent foreign policy, which is the maintenance of the existing international order that has remained unchanged for 16 years.

　　Kovochap believes that Merkel is gone, but in the foreseeable future, whoever wants to talk to Europe will still receive the phone from the German Chancellor's office; this is the political legacy of Merkel to future generations.

Data map: On the evening of June 9, 2018, German Chancellor Merkel's team posted a photo taken on the second day of the Canadian G7 summit on Twitter.

Because at this summit, US President Trump alone “offended” the leaders of the other six G7 countries, this photo was also regarded by foreign netizens as the “best in the audience” of this G7 summit.

Great Power Relations

How to position the relationship between Europe, America and China is the key

　　On the other hand, during Merkel's administration, she generally followed the basic foreign policy of her predecessor, and paid particular attention to safeguarding Germany's interests in the world economy. The key link was economic and trade relations with China.

Her emphasis on the close economic and trade relations between Germany and China has attracted criticism from the United States, the European Union and some camps in Germany.

　　During Merkel's administration, German-American relations gradually became cold.

She herself was a passionate supporter of the US transatlantic policy, but after Bush and Obama implemented the strategy of shifting the focus of foreign policy to Asia, the differences between Germany and the United States appeared. Tensed for a while.

　　Now, when Merkel leaves, the EU faces a series of major challenges, including repositioning Europe's geopolitical role between the United States and China.

The report pointed out that Germany's position plays a decisive role in the relationship between Europe and the United States.

No matter who takes Merkel's class, Germany's policies toward China and the United States, as well as the relationship between the European Union, the United States, and China, will still be key moves.

Data map: On March 15, 2019, students in capitals and major cities of many European countries such as Germany and Italy responded to the "Friday for the Future" action and took to the streets to call on the government to take action as soon as possible to effectively strengthen the response to climate change .

The picture shows the Plaza de la Invalides between the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy and the Federal Ministry of Transport in Berlin that day.

Photo by Geng Zhuo issued by China News Service

Domestic achievements

Economic vitality is weakening and digital technology is

lagging behind

　　BBC Berlin correspondent Hill believes that during Merkel's tenure as Chancellor of Germany, Germany has undergone tremendous changes. First, the economy continued to prosper and the German people became more and more wealthy.

　　But after 16 years of prosperity and the implementation of economic policies that consolidate the foundation of competitiveness, Germany’s economic vitality has shown signs of weakening, the fragility of the financial system, and insufficient investment in digital technology and infrastructure.

　　In addition, many young people in Germany said that their biggest worry for the future is climate change.

Many of them believe that the Merkel government's goals in terms of carbon emission reduction and the promotion of renewable energy development are not ambitious enough, and they are not strong enough.

　　Another concern of critics is that Germany is lagging behind its competitors in technology and digital technology.

According to data from the European Union, Germany ranks sixth from the bottom in the 21 EU countries in terms of the degree of digitalization in the public service and business sectors.

　　After the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the Merkel government’s anti-epidemic policy has also attracted mixed reviews, and economic recovery will be the top priority for her successor.

Data map: On March 11, 2020, German Chancellor Merkel held a temporary press conference to explain to the people the German government's judgment on the epidemic and its core response strategies for the first time.

She emphasized that Germany's approach is based on the premise that the medical system cannot be collapsed. The current key is to slow down the spread of the virus. To this end, the government has taken measures such as halting large-scale activities involving more than 1,000 people.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Peng Dawei

Unity or split

Merkel's policy controversy continues

　　The BBC believes that one of the most controversial decisions during Merkel's tenure was to open the country to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in the summer of 2015.

This move made her an international figure in Time magazine at the time, and also incurred condemnation from the right wing in Germany and some member states of the European Union.

　　In addition, the Eurozone debt crisis broke out in the early 2010s. Merkel's decision to delay assistance to debtor countries such as Greece triggered fears that the single European currency might disintegrate. In addition, she insisted that Greece's international rescue plan must include strict restrictions. attack.

However, from the birth of the euro to weathering the European debt crisis, Germany played a key role in the stability of the single European currency, the euro.

　　Agence France-Presse quoted analysts as saying that Merkel has not made impressive remarks on the future of Europe, but she has contributed to the European Union's ability to maintain unity; however, her departure is seen by some commentators. Coming means more possibilities for change.