Chancellor (female) - Merkel is 70 - one doesn't want to congratulate
Party friends and prominent traffic light representatives paid tribute to Chancellor Angela Merkel on her 70th birthday for her commitment to Germany, Europe, and democracy. Her successor as Chancellor, Olaf Scholz (SPD), praised the CDU politician on the X platform, stating, "Impressive political career" and adding, "She tirelessly fought for the country."
Union faction leader Friedrich Merz sent Merkel a heartfelt greeting on X. Merz, who is also the CDU chairman, added, "For over three decades, you have shaped the politics of our country and taken responsibility: in the CDU, in parliament, and in government." Merkel had displaced Merz as the chairman of the Union faction in the Bundestag in 2002. The relationship between Merz and the former Chancellor is said to be strained since then.
The ex-Chancellor will celebrate privately
According to a spokesperson, Merkel will celebrate her round birthday in private. The details of how and with whom are unclear. "The Federal Chancellor emeritus has given no information on private matters since her active political career," the spokesperson explained. "Her stance on such inquiries has not changed since leaving office." Merkel served as Federal Chancellor from 2005 to 2021.
The CDU is looking forward to the celebration in honor of Merkel's birthday in the fall, wrote Merz. The reception is planned for September 25 at the Berlin Academy of Sciences as part of the CDU series "Berliner Gespräche."
CDU on Merkel: One of the most significant stateswomen of our time
In an X post by the CDU, it is said about Merkel, who led the party from 2000 to 2018: "Her ability to maintain calm and make careful decisions in difficult situations made her one of the most significant stateswomen of our time."
Baerbock with personal greetings
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock paid tribute to Merkel with a personal contribution on X: "Dear Mrs. Merkel, you stood for humanity and endurance for the cohesion of Europe - always in deep conviction for democracy & international law," wrote the Green politician. Merkel opened doors for women of my generation. All the best from the heart!"
Gabriel on Merkel: Vacuum in Europe after her tenure
The former SPD chairman, Sigmar Gabriel, who was Foreign Minister under Merkel, wrote in a guest article for the "Spiegel": "Above all, she gave Europe a political center and bound its centrifugal forces during her 16-year chancellorship. That seems to me Angela Merkel's greatest political achievement. The role is still unfilled."
Further, it says in Gabriel's article: "Whether Putin started his brutal war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022 if Chancellor Merkel had another legislative period, one can reasonably doubt."
No greeting from Putin
President Putin, according to a spokesperson, has no contact with Merkel anymore and did not send her a greeting for her 70th birthday. A greeting was not planned, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov in Moscow. Merkel and Putin last spoke by phone before Merkel's departure from the Chancellery at the end of 2021, according to Tass. During her tenures from 2005 to 2021, Merkel met Putin approximately 30 times.
Many politicians had congratulated Merkel before her birthday. Greetings came even from Gerhard Schroeder, (SPD) whom Merkel had replaced as Chancellor in the Federal Parliament in 2005. "She is a special one among all political opponents and adversaries," Schroeder told the magazine "Stern". He wished Merkel a typical North German charm, as well as her ability to irony and self-irony.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier honored the former Chancellor as "an example and a trademark of our democracy". Merkel had significantly shaped the way of a united Germany as Chancellor.
Bavaria's Minister-President Markus Söder told dpa: "Heartfelt congratulations on your 70th birthday – to a great life achievement of the most significant living political figure in Germany." The CSU and Merkel had a tumultuous relationship at the beginning - "that also applied to me," Söder admitted. There were indeed major differences in migration policy. "But during the Corona pandemic, everything has changed for me," Söder said.
Evangelical pastor's daughter, physicist, Chancellor
Merkel was born in Hamburg. Her father took up a pastoral position in Brandenburg - Merkel grew up in the former GDR and studied physics. In 1990, she was elected to the Bundestag. Merkel served as Minister for Women and then as Minister for the Environment. Merkel did not run for re-election to the Bundestag for the 2021 election. In connection with the Russian aggression war in Ukraine, critics accuse Merkel of a naive handling of Putin. Many see her as responsible for Germany's long-term dependence on Russian natural gas.
- Many women in Germany admire Angela Merkel for breaking barriers and serving as a role model.
- At the Academy of Sciences, the CDU is planning to host a celebration honoring Merkel's political career.
- Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader, has expressed his admiration for Merkel's three-decade long influence on German politics.
- Despite their strained relationship, Merkel and Friedrich Merz have both served as influential figures within the CDU.
- Annalena Baerbock, a prominent figure in the Green Party, paid tribute to Merkel on her birthday, recognizing her commitment to democracy and Europe.
- Former SPD chairman Sigmar Gabriel credited Merkel for providing political stability in Europe during her 16-year tenure as Chancellor.
- Merkel's departure from office left a vacuum in Europe, and some believe her absence may have contributed to Russia's aggression towards Ukraine.
- Olaf Scholz, Merkel's successor and the current German Chancellor, has also praised Merkel for her remarkable political career.
- Bernhard Schöllgen, a historian at the Academy of Sciences, emphasized Merkel's pivotal role in shaping contemporary German and European history.
- Even Gerhard Schroeder, Merkel's political adversary, acknowledged her significant achievements and impact on German politics.
