Schroder congratulates 'special opponent' Merkel
It is a special day that former CDU chairman and Federal Chancellor Merkel can celebrate. Wishes for her 70th birthday come from all over the world. One of her biggest rivals also sent greetings.
Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder congratulated his successor Angela Merkel on her 70th birthday. He described the CDU politician as "a special political opponent."
"She is a special one among all political opponents and opponents. She won," said the former SPD Federal Chancellor, who came close to the CDU politician in the 2005 Federal Election, to the "star." He wished Merkel a "typically North German charm" and her "ability to irony (even self-irony)." Schröder: "All the best, dear Frau Merkel, and as the North Germans say: 'Ad multos annos.'" Translated: "For many years."
The Hamburg native Angela Merkel led various governments as Federal Chancellor from 2005 to 2021, before she declared that she would not run as CDU's candidate for the Federal Election again. On this Wednesday, the former Chancellor - whose political memoirs are expected to be published in the fall of this year - turns 70.
Besides Schröder, her direct successor in the Chancellery, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, also congratulated her. Merkel began her career "fiercely with the gain of democracy in East Germany and German unity," said Scholz. "We speak regularly," the Chancellor added. "Recently, we met at a reception of the Federal President for the French State President. We sat next to each other and had a lengthy exchange."
Gerhard Schröder's message to Angela Merkel was not just a congratulatory one, as he also acknowledged her as a formidable political opponent within the context of German politics. After Merkel's tenure as Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, her successor, continued to maintain a close relationship with her, often engaging in conversations during various events.
