Merkel personal life children. Merkel, a blueberry speculator, a Stasi agent and a Jew, betrayed her friends and most likely was a lesbian
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Biography, life story of Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is a German politician and statesman.Childhood, family
Angela was born on July 17, 1954 in Hamburg (Germany). Father's name is Horst Kasner, mother's name is Gerlinda Kasner. Gerlinda was a teacher of English and Latin. Pope Angela was a believer; he was actively involved in the study of theology. When the family moved to Perleberg (and this happened just a few weeks after Angela’s birth), Horst took up the position of pastor in the local Lutheran church. In 1957 the Kasners moved to Templin. In the same year, a son, Marcus, was born into the family. In 1964, Gerlinde and Horst had another child - a girl, Irena.
In 1961, Angela went to Templin Polytechnic School. The girl amazed her teachers with her thirst for knowledge; she was especially good at subjects such as mathematics and the Russian language. While studying at school, Angela was a member of the Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organization and the Union of Free German Youth. In 1973, Angela successfully graduated from school, passing all final exams with flying colors.
Education
After school, Angela left Templin and entered the Karl Marx University Leipzig to study physics. The girl studied well and diligently, which, however, did not cause her much trouble - she always had a predisposition to science. In June 1978, Angela defended thesis on the topic “The influence of spatial correlation on the rate of bimolecular elementary reactions in a dense medium”, receiving an “excellent” rating from the commission. A little later, in the winter of 1986, Angela also successfully defended her dissertation work, thanks to which she received the title of Doctor of Natural Sciences.
Career
After university, Angela worked for some time at the Central Institute of Physical Chemistry at the Academy of Sciences of the GDR, first in the department of theoretical chemistry, and a little later in the department of analytical chemistry. I didn’t forget about Angel either community service- she actively participated in political life, served as secretary for propaganda and agitation in the League of Free German Youth.
CONTINUED BELOW
In 1989, Angela joined the Democratic Renewal Party. At the same time, she was appointed to the post of government press secretary.
In December 1989, Angela Merkel began thinking about a serious political career. Having conducted a good election campaign, she managed to become a deputy of the German Bundestag. A little later she became Minister of Women and Youth Affairs.
In 1991, Angela became vice-chairman of the Christian Democratic Union. In 1994, she took the post of Minister of Environmental Protection.
In 1998, the Christian Democratic Union came under public attack. Helmut Kohl, the union's chairman, was accused of accepting illegal external donations into the organization's account. Angela immediately renounced her allegiance to Helmut and urgently demanded a change of leadership from the party activists.
In 2003, Angela openly supported the invasion of Iraq by American soldiers.
In 2004, Angela successfully promoted Horast Köhler to the presidency of Germany, organizing a brilliant election campaign for him.
In 2005, the Christian Democratic Union elected Angela as a candidate for the post of Federal Chancellor of Germany. On November 22 of the same year, an official document was signed confirming the new appointment of Angela Merkel. She became the first woman in German history to hold this post.
Views and beliefs
From the very beginning political career Angela Merkel said she advocates rapprochement between Germany and the United States. Angela was always against too strong a friendship with the Russian Federation and even intended to tighten relations with the huge country, however, after becoming chancellor, she did nothing for this.
Angela Merkel has always been against Turkey's admission to the European Union, believing that this will not bring any positive changes to the global political situation.
As soon as she became chancellor, Angela Merkel stated that her main goal was to create new jobs for the population. Despite this, in the very first years of her tenure there were mass layoffs from the German branches of such well-known companies as Siemens and Nokia.
Personal life
Angela married her first time in 1977 to her fellow student Ulrich Merkel. The marriage did not last long - already in 1982 the couple officially divorced.
In 1984, Angela began dating Joachim Sauer, a physicist and professor at the Humboldt University of Berlin. In December 1998, the lovers got married.
Angela Dorothea Merkel (before her marriage Kasner) is an influential European politician, head of the Federal Government of Germany, who became the only female chancellor in the country's history.Under her leadership, Germany gained economic power, and she herself became a symbol of stability in Europe and a key figure in resolving the most difficult issues of European politics: from resolving the refugee situation to measures to unite the continent in the face of disagreements with the owner of the White House, Donald Trump.
The “European Iron Lady,” as she is called in the media, became chancellor for the fourth time and broke the record of being at the top of power of Margaret Thatcher, who served as prime minister for 11 years. A number of political experts believe that in 2019 Merkel may leave her post and head the European Council, replacing Donald Tusk in this position.
Some analysts point to the weakening of its position in the political arena and express fears that Europe is in danger of entering an era of instability.
Childhood and youth
The future “defender of Western liberalism” was born on July 17, 1954 in West Germany. When Angela was still a baby, her family moved to the GDR after her father, Lutheran clergyman Horst Kasner, received a pastorate in Perleberg. He is a native of Berlin with Polish roots. The hometown of Angela's mother, a teacher of English and Latin, Gerlinda, née Jents, was Danzig (now Gdansk in Poland). 
In 1957, their family moved to the town of Templin, located 90 kilometers north of Berlin, where they added their son Markus and youngest daughter Irena. My father was then assigned to run the local pastors' college.
In the period 1961-1973. the girl was a student at a secondary polytechnic school, and, as befits a priest’s daughter, she was a modest and quiet girl who pleased her family with her excellent academic performance. She especially excelled in studying the exact sciences and foreign languages, was a pioneer, a fan The Beatles and an active member of the Free German Youth League.
After receiving her certificate, she became a student at the University of Leipzig, choosing Faculty of Physics. At the university, the girl again demonstrated excellent academic performance. Then she successfully worked at the Central Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the GDR and in 1986 became a doctor natural sciences.
Career Development
During historical events and the fateful fall of the Berlin Wall for the Germans, the young scientist joined the ranks of the popular political force “Democratic Breakthrough,” which consisted mainly of church leaders. In 1990, she became an employee of the government of the GDR, and was present in a new capacity at many meetings that took place during the preparation for the annexation of the eastern lands. In August, Democratic Breakthrough became part of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). 
After the reunification of the state, she became a member of the Bundestag from the CDU. Her high potential was appreciated by Helmut Kohl. When forming a new government, he took her to the post of head of the Ministry of Women and Youth Affairs. Soon she was elected deputy chairman of the CDU, and in 1993 the leader of the party in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. A year later, Merkel became environment minister.
In 1998, when Kohl lost the elections, the politician became secretary general of the CDU. After the scandal with the financing of the ruling party, which compromised its patron, she did not come to his defense, but publicly criticized him, showing integrity, which was perceived ambiguously.
In 2000, Kohl's successor Wolfgang Schäble announced his resignation and she was elected to succeed him, becoming the first female leader of a German party. In 2005, she was elected chairman of the CDU/CSU bloc and nominated for the post of chancellor. Based on the results of the selection of people's representatives, she became the first representative of the “weaker sex” in this post in the history of the country. In addition, at 51, she is the youngest and first native of East Germany at the pinnacle of power.
Subsequently, she repeatedly demonstrated her remarkable political talent. Under her leadership, the German economy withstood a serious European crisis. In the period 2006-2008. Forbes magazine gave Angela Merkel a leading position in its ranking of the most powerful ladies in the world.
Angela Merkel speaks Russian
In foreign policy She tried to maintain smooth relations with all partners, but she considered cooperation with the United States a priority. She has repeatedly demonstrated her character when making important decisions, including issues of the Greek national debt, Britain's exit from the EU, and the problem of refugee integration. She has established a good working relationship with the Russian Federation, although she had previously been critical of Schröder’s “excessive” friendship with Putin.
In 2014, Merkel did not approve of the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian Federation, supported Western sanctions against Russia, and became a member of the group for resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Despite difficult relations with the Russian Federation, on the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Second World War, she came to Moscow to honor the memory of those who liberated the world from Nazism.
Interview with Angela Merkel
In the 2017 parliamentary elections, the CSU/CDU bloc, led by the Chancellor, won an undeniable victory, despite the fact that the politician’s authority was reduced due to the influx of refugees in 2015-2016. fell significantly.
Personal life
In 1977, still under the socialist regime, Angela married physics student Ulrich Merkel. But after 5 years married life they broke up. Subsequently, she called this marriage a mistake. 
IN free time she loves to garden, is an excellent cook, is a passionate football fan and an honorary member of FC Energie Cottbus, and is very afraid of dogs due to their attack on her in 1995. In everyday life, their family is modest, having an apartment and a small country house. The couple spends their holidays in Austria or Italy, renting rooms with an average cost of living.
Merkel now
In March 2018, the candidacy of the “Teutonic Margaret Thatcher” was supported by the majority of members of the Bundestag, and she was re-elected for the fourth time to the highest government post of head of the Federal Government. The President of the Russian Federation sent her a congratulatory telegram on this occasion.During the summit of the G7 club of leading states held in Canada, she stated that she did not see conditions for the return of the Russian Federation to its membership. The leaders of the participating states excluded Russia from the G8 due to the “annexation of Crimea.”
Being a football fan, she announced on the ARD channel that she does not rule out the possibility of traveling to Russia for the World Cup, believing that such visits “could be useful.”
Childhood
The full name of the current Federal Chancellor of Germany is Angela Dorothea, maiden name- Kasner.
Kasner is the Germanized Polish surname Kazmierczak. Angela's grandfather, Ludwig Kazmierczak, moved to Berlin in 1923. His son Horst became a Lutheran pastor, educated at Heidelberg and Hamburg universities. Mother, Gerlinda Jentzsch, a native of Danzig (now the city is called Gdansk), taught English language and Latin.
Angela, one might say, was lucky - she was born in Germany, and not in the GDR, located in the zone of influence of the USSR. However, her father, apparently, was a man of devout faith and, in addition, courageous. There was an acute shortage of clergy in eastern Germany, and when Angela was only a few weeks old, the family moved to Germany. Democratic Republic, to the city of Perleberg, where Horst received a parish.
And three years later the Kasners moved to Templin. There, Angela’s father participated in the creation of an intra-church educational center and ran a college for pastors. But the mother in the GDR lost her job - the GDR authorities did not allow the priest’s wife to see the children. But Gerlinda’s own children had no idea what it was kindergarten and after-school care, and enjoyed their mother's full attention.
Angela's brother Markus was born in the GDR in 1957, and in 1964 younger sister Irena.
Horst Kasner had no sympathy for the communists, but did not enter into confrontation. He officially supported the GDR government and socialist policies single party Germany, which ruled the country until 1990, was therefore in good standing with the authorities, and the Kasners could travel to the West.
Education
Angela received her general education at the Polytechnic Secondary School in Templin. As classmates later said, she was an inconspicuous girl. But she is an excellent student, and she was best at mathematics and physics. Angela also enjoyed studying the Russian language and achieved such success in it that as a student she won a national Olympiad and received a trip to the USSR as a reward. Later, the already adult Angela said that she would like to travel along the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The girl, like all her peers in socialist Germany, became a pioneer, and then joined the Union of Free German Youth - an analogue of the Soviet Komsomol. I finished school with flying colors. While still studying, she firmly decided to enter the Karl Marx University Leipzig. Despite my love for languages, the choice was obvious - the Faculty of Physics.
Angela combined the study of her favorite science with active social activities in SSNM, as well as with my personal life. It was at the university that she became Frau Angela Merkel. This is the last name of her first husband. The marriage did not last long, but Angela kept her sonorous surname for the rest of her life.
Merkel also defended her diploma on the topic “The influence of spatial correlation on the rate of bimolecular elementary reactions in a dense medium.” This happened in June 1978.
Angela Merkel has scientific title Doctor of Natural Sciences. The topic of her dissertation is “Study of the mechanism of decomposition reactions with simple bond breaking and calculation of their rate constants based on quantum chemical and statistical methods.” The defense took place on January 8, 1986.
Activist at the Academy of Sciences
After graduating from university, Angela’s future path was clear – science. An attempt to get a job at the Technical High School Ilmenau ended in failure, and Merkel ended up getting a job at the Central Institute of Physical Chemistry at the Academy of Sciences of the GDR, in the department of theoretical chemistry.
After defending her dissertation, she moved to the analytical chemistry department. She also continued to lead an active social life. Merkel was a member of the district committee of the SSNM and secretary of agitation and propaganda (she herself later preferred to call her activities cultural and educational). Angela gracefully avoided joining the ruling party in Germany, citing excessive talkativeness (one might think that she was invited to work in the secret service). But she did not take part in opposition movements either.
1989 changed everything. For the whole world, the fall of the Berlin Wall was a sign of imminent change, and for most it was welcome. However, they promised a dim future for scientists. It became clear that the GDR Academy would sooner or later cease to exist.
The Academy of Sciences of the GDR was dissolved on the last day of 1991. One could look for happiness in Western universities - there would certainly be a place for a good physicist. But Merkel chose a different path, going into politics.
Democratic breakthrough in the CDU
The wave of change and disillusionment with old ideals led to increased political activity.
The Kasner family did not stay away from politics - Merkel's mother actively participated in the work of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.
For some reason, Merkel went to work in the newly created party, quite marginal and rather left-wing - first as a computer operator, and then as an assistant to Chairman Wolfgang Schnur. She designed leaflets, then became something of a press secretary. It was she who led the press conference when it turned out that the party chairman was collaborating with the GDR Ministry of Security.
“Demproryv” existed only for a short time, but Merkel’s stay there had a dramatic impact on Merkel’s fate: the party became one of the coalition partners of the influential Christian Democratic Union. As a result, Merkel ended up there, shocking those around her. Her family had no sympathy for the CDU, and Angela herself, as her friends and acquaintances recalled, was close to the “greens” in her views (and some said that she had no political views as such).
In the GDR, Merkel managed to work as deputy press secretary of the government, which ceased its activities on the day of German unification, October 3, 1990.
Merkel prepared a “reserve airfield” for herself in advance - full-time position Ministerial Adviser at the Federal Office of Press and Information of the Federal Republic of Germany. But in fact she didn't need him. The era of Helmut Kohl began in her life.
Girl Kolya
Merkel's first personal meeting with Helmut Kohl took place on the sidelines of the CDU unification congress. Merkel was one of the three Democratic Breakthrough delegates at the CDU unification congress, when the West German and East German branches merged on the eve of German reunification.
What kind of impression this acquaintance made on Kolya can be judged by Angela’s further career both within the party and in the public sphere. She joined the CDU, became a member of the Bundestag, and already in 1991 she joined the government of Helmut Kohl. Merkel, 37, headed the Ministry of Women and Youth Affairs, and in 1994 became Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Reactor Safety.
Merkel's career was also successful within the party. She steadily moved up, becoming deputy chairman of the CDU in 1991, and head of the party branch in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in 1993. She held these posts until 2000.
An aspiring politician from the former GDR, who did not have the necessary contacts and had not gone through the school of Western politics, could make a quick and successful career in Germany only thanks to Kohl’s patronage. Of course, she was his protégé. She was called “Kolya’s girl.” They said that she obediently followed in the Chancellor's footsteps and seemed to be completely loyal to him.
In the wake of scandal
In 1998, the election to the Bundestag turned out to be a failure for the CDU. Authority to new term the government did not receive it. Kohl was replaced by Gerhard Schröder, head of the Social Democratic Party.
There was a “changing of the guard” in the party - Kohl remained the honorary chairman of the party, and it was headed by Wolfgang Schäuble, who proposed Merkel for the post of general secretary. Merkel took another step up the party ladder, becoming secretary general of the CDU. And a year later, her political romance with Kohl came to an end.
Its position was strengthened after the much more successful elections to the European Parliament for the CDU in 1999. And in November of the same year, a scandal broke out over illegal financing of the party, amounting to millions.
And Merkel attacked her recent patron with harsh criticism.
“The party must take its first independent steps, must believe in itself that even without the “old war horse,” as Helmut Kohl himself often called himself, it will be able to continue the fight against its political opponents. Like a teenager in puberty, she must break away from her parents' home and go her own way,” Merkel wrote in an article published by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
During the scandal, Wolfgang Schäuble also admitted to receiving funds from the military-industrial lobby. Merkel remained not involved in unseemly matters. And the next step was obvious.
On April 10, 2000, Merkel became the first woman in the history of the Christian Democratic Union to assume the post of chairman. 897 out of 935 delegates voted for her.
Teutonic Margaret Thatcher
At first, the CDU under Merkel's leadership in the elections different levels did not shine, the Social Democrats held their positions. But Merkel's influence grew. They said that she gradually got rid of all powerful political figures.
In 2002, Merkel became the head of the CDU/CSU (Christian Social Union in Bavaria) parliamentary faction in the Bundestag and succeeded. And three years later, the CDU returned to power.
On November 22, 2005, members of the Bundestag elected Angela Merkel as Federal Chancellor of Germany. She became not only the first woman in history to hold this position, but also the youngest politician. She was 51 years old.
Almost no one believed that Merkel's reign would last long. Angela seemed to her opponents either too restrained or weak. However, already in 2007 it turned out that Merkel was supported by 76 percent of German residents - an unusually high result.
It was Merkel who prevented panic during the 2008 crisis by providing a state guarantee for deposits in German banks, and in the end the shock barely hit the country. Economic growth began already in 2009.
Merkel steadily pursued the political and economic unity of Europe, which was beneficial to Germany. It was she who was able to “push through” financial support for Greece, while simultaneously forcing the Greek government to carry out the necessary reforms.
Over and over again, since 2004, Merkel has become the most powerful woman in the world according to Forbes magazine, and in 2015 she was recognized as Person of the Year by Times magazine. She became the most powerful leader in Europe.
Merkel has been called the Teutonic Margaret Thatcher. And also – Mutti, mommy. Reliable and trustworthy, and also not involved in corruption scandals.
For the Germans, it became a symbol of stable, solid and calm growth. For the world - the “iron chancellor” and a loyal ally of the United States.
The new face of the CDU
The traditional conservative agenda of the CDU was somehow forgotten in a series of urgent matters, and it soon became clear that Merkel did not adhere to it. Over time, longtime CDU activists stopped recognizing their own party. Cancellation of conscription? Multi-million dollar loan to a completely outsider Greece?? Refugees???
From a conservative party, the CDU turned into a party of development and reform. Merkel has become its new symbol. And even when the Christian Democratic Union lost local elections in 2011 and 2012, this did not affect the popularity of its leader.
Sometimes the impression was created that the Germans, in general, no longer cared which party Merkel represented.
Refugees as a threat to unity
One of Merkel’s most controversial decisions, which caused a storm of criticism and ultimately seriously undermined her position, was the opening of borders to refugees. Back in 2010, she admitted that the multiculturalism policy in Germany had failed. However, this did not stop the Chancellor when the decision was made to open the borders and accept as many refugees from the Middle East and Africa as possible.
In 2015, a migration crisis emerged in Europe. In total, at least a million refugees and illegal migrants arrived on the continent. Naturally, they were most attracted to the richest countries, the first of which was Germany. And Germany accepted everyone. Conflicts and scandals arose, and the financial and organizational burden became unbearable. In addition, not all migrants sought to quickly integrate into the new society.
The refugee issue has split the European Union. Eastern European countries defended their borders especially zealously, resolutely resisting any attempts to “scatter” migrants across EU states, thereby demonstrating pan-European solidarity. “This is not a European problem. This is Germany’s problem,” the Hungarian Prime Minister concluded.
Merkel, by contrast, has been the most ardent supporter of accepting migrants. One day, her patience ran out, and it almost came to blocking the border with Austria. But at the last moment the chancellor did not dare to do this. It is believed that she was afraid of a negative media reaction and the appearance of photographs if refugees rushed towards border guards with children in their arms. (Merkel herself never comments on her decisions).
As a result, her actions were not approved by either conservatives or volunteers, who, through their work, mitigated the consequences of the crisis. They are unhappy that Merkel eventually closed the borders and reached an agreement with Turkey to limit migration, thus abandoning her humanistic policy.
And the most serious defeat on the “external front” for Merkel was Brexit. The issue of migrants turned out to be one of the key ones in deciding the issue of Britain's exit from the European Union.
Personal life
Angela Merkel got married for the first time while studying at university. She met physics student Ulrich Merkel in 1974 and got married on September 3, 1977. The marriage lasted several years and broke up. In 1982, the couple formalized their divorce.
Angela met her second husband, chemistry professor Joachim Sauer, at work. They met in 1984 and for a long time lived together without formalizing the relationship. Only in 1998 the couple got married. Evil tongues said that Merkel did this for the sake of a political career, to improve her reputation.
Merkel does not have her own children. Her husband has two sons from his first marriage.
In his free time, the politician enjoys gardening and cooking. Merkel feeds her guests homemade pies.
Permanent Chancellor
On March 5 this year, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier proposed to the Bundestag to elect Merkel for a new term as Federal Chancellor. Voting will take place on March 14.
Merkel herself once dreamed that when she turned 60, she would retire, buy a ticket to the United States and travel around America. Now she is already 64. And it is unlikely that her dream will come true in the foreseeable future. Although numerous opponents of the “Teutonic Thatcher” would probably even agree to finance the trip, no matter how much it costs. If only Merkel would finally leave her post, which she has held for 12 years.
Angela Dorothea Merkel (Kasner) is a woman who holds the position of Chancellor of Germany and a well-known political figure in Europe. Angela became the first woman to hold the position of Chancellor of Germany (appointed in 2005).
Merkel does not look like modern European businesswomen with trim figures and easy gaits. She does not smile often and does not have outstanding speaking abilities. But it was her inconspicuous appearance that helped the woman achieve success in life. Many men underestimated her, failing to consider her as a serious rival in a timely manner. Angela never raises her voice or quarrels. She knows how to turn any unfavorable situation to her advantage. Today she leads one of the largest and economically developed countries Europe. The biography and family of Angela Merkel will be discussed further.
Childhood and family
As the biography of Angela Merkel testifies (photo in the article), she was born on July 17, 1954 in Hamburg. Her father Horst Kasner was a pastor, and her mother Gerlinde taught English and Latin at school.
The woman’s father had Polish roots, so on the eve of the Nazi Party coming to power in Germany, he chose to change his own surname Kazmierczak to the more euphonious Kasner.
Immediately after the girl's birth, the family was forced to move to East Germany, where her father was appointed pastor of the Lutheran Church. Three years later there was another move due to a new assignment in Templin.
Angela has a brother and sister (Marcus and Irena).
At the age of 7, the girl is sent to school. During her studies, Angela did not stand out among her peers. The girl studied well, was a member of the pioneer detachment, and among the subjects studied at school, she gave preference to mathematics and languages.
Education and professional activities
After graduating from school, Angela entered the University of Leipzig at the Faculty of Physics, and in 1978 she defended her thesis with honors. During her studies she was a member of the Union of Free German Youth. After completing his studies, he and his husband moved to the capital of Germany, where he got a job at the Institute of Chemistry.
Eight years after graduating from university, the woman defended her dissertation. Having become a doctor of natural sciences, she moves to work in the analytical chemistry department. During this period, Merkel was already actively involved in political life.
Political activity
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, new parties began to emerge, and the East German Academy of Sciences ceased to exist. Angela finds a job with a political party called Democratic Breakthrough. She performs the functions of a computer administrator. A little later, she is given the task of developing political leaflets, and literally a few months later she becomes press secretary.
In 1990, elections to the New Chamber took place, in which the party was defeated. But thanks to the successful activities of another party in the election bloc, the woman becomes press secretary. Soon the need for the unification of Germany became ripe; Angela participates in almost all negotiations regarding this issue.
December 1990 was marked by elections to the Bundestag. That is why, back in October of this year, the Democratic Breakthrough party united with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU).
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Merkel was offered a job at the Federal Office of Press and Information of the reunified Germany.
Member of the Bundestag
During the first elections to the Bundestag, Merkel received 48.5% of the votes, for which she was given a deputy mandate. After meeting and communicating with Helmut Kohl, the woman was invited to work in the department of the Federal Chancellor, located in Bonn. Since 1991, she began to head the federal department dealing with women and youth issues. Fast promotion career ladder made possible thanks to assistance from the Federal Chancellor.
Since December 1991, Angela Merkel, whose biography and personal life was the subject of our review, has become deputy chairman of the CDU. In 1993 she headed the CDU in Mecklenburg.
December 1994 was marked by new elections to the Bundestag, as a result of which Merkel became Minister for Security external environment. But the next elections, which took place in 1998, became a complete failure for the party. Schäuble became the chairman of the CDU, and Merkel took the post of general secretary. In 1999, they were presented to the public scandalous story, related to the illegal financing of the union, so already in 2000 Schäuble had to vacate his post.
Chairman of the CDU
After Schäuble's departure, the party remains without leadership for some time. Merkel occupies the key position, so at the next party congress Angela is officially elected chairman.
The next elections do not bring major victories to the party. Since the next elections to the Bundestag are due to take place in the autumn of 2002, between political parties A fierce struggle begins.
Merkel was ready to take the post of Federal Chancellor, but she did not enjoy much support from the party leadership. Many preferred to see Edmund Stoiber, who was a representative of the CSU (Christian Social Union), in this post. Merkel abandoned her candidacy for the post in favor of Stoiber, which was necessary to maintain her power.
Leader of the Opposition
In 2002, Stoiber was defeated in the elections, and Merkel decided to take the place of Friedrich Merz, becoming the head of the CDU/CSU faction. She succeeds, and the success of the party allows her to take a direct part in governing the country, even despite being in the opposition.
The year 2004 was marked by elections to the Hamburg parliament, where the CDU party won a landslide victory. Angela is going on a 3-day friendly visit to Turkey.
In 2005, early elections to the Bundestag were held, where Angela became a candidate for the post of Federal Chancellor. In these elections, the bloc received only 35.2% of the votes, which did not allow them to create a parliamentary majority in the Bundestag.
Federal Chancellor
As the biography of Angela Merkel testifies (personal life, children will be discussed further), in September 2005 she became the chairman of the CDU/CSU faction. Negotiations were started with the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) to create a coalition. In October it was possible to sign an agreement, and in early November a coalition agreement was signed. Angela Merkel took the post of Federal Chancellor of Germany. German women perceived her success as a personal victory.
Merkel is hardworking and ambitious, and her inconspicuous appearance has proven to be a good disguise from her competitors. In March 2018, she was elected to the post of Chancellor of Germany for the fourth time.
At the beginning of governing the country, Merkel does not take decisive action, but receives the support of the population.
Angela presided over European Union in 2007 from Germany. Its main priority was the adoption of the EU Constitution.
Foreign policy
On the eve of the military conflict in Iraq, Merkel expresses support for the United States. This drew criticism from German government circles. Before taking the post of Chancellor, Angela said that Turkey’s full membership in the EU was impossible. Since the 2005 elections, she has remained silent on this issue. Merkel spoke with restraint about Germany's participation in resolving the Lebanese-Israeli conflict.
In its foreign policy, it unconditionally supports European values and treats the United States as a strategic partner. Before being elected chancellor, she criticized Schröder for his friendship with the Russian president. After the elections, German-Russian relations did not undergo major changes. She supported sanctions against Russia, which led to retaliatory actions. As a result, there was a drop in trade turnover between the countries.
Economic and social policy
From the very beginning of her career, Merkel achieved popularity thanks to a balanced foreign policy and internal reforms. After she came to power, positive changes were observed in the economy: reform of the federal system, reduction in unemployment.
During the financial crisis of 2008-2009, the government provided state support the country's economy, which allowed Germany to emerge from recession in August 2009. In 2010, due to the crisis in Greece, new difficulties arose, and financial support was provided to this country.
The migration crisis in 2015 became a complex issue. Merkel said immigrants should try harder to fit into German society. In Potsdam in 2010, she said that multiculturalism had failed in Germany.
After the accident at the Japanese nuclear power plant, a law was passed, following which Germany must refrain from using nuclear energy until 2022.
Angela Merkel: biography, personal life, husband, children
Angela's first husband was Ulrich Merkel, whom she met while studying. They got married in 1977, but after five years the couple broke up. A year later, an official divorce followed. She did not change her husband's last name. Angela Merkel's second choice was Joachim Sauer. Before their official marriage, they dated for 4 years and legalized their relationship in 1998. Does Angela Merkel have children? The biography and personal life of a woman is always under close attention of the press. It is known that she has no children. Angela said that she did not exclude the possibility of having a child, but it did not work out. She managed to establish good relations with the children of her second husband.
For more than 12 years, Angela has been leadership position in Germany. Before making an important decision, Merkel carefully considers all the details. The secret of her success lies in external simplicity and amazing inner strength. She is an outstanding European politician.
Angela Dorothea Merkel (German: Angela Dorothea Merkel, nee Kasner, born 1954) is one of the most influential politicians in the Old World, leader of the popular German Christian Democratic Union party. Since 2005 he has been the permanent Federal Chancellor of Germany. Merkel became the first woman in the country's history to hold this position. According to the authoritative publication Forbes, she was recognized eight times as the world's most influential female politician.
Childhood and youth
Angela Dorothea Merkel was born on July 17, 1954 in northern Germany in the city of Hamburg. Her father Horst Kasner was a Lutheran pastor who studied religion at the universities of Heidelberg and Hamburg, and her mother Gerpinda taught English and Latin. Soon after birth eldest daughter The family moved to the GDR, where Horst headed the parish of the Lutheran Church in the village of Kvitsov. A few years later, the Kasner family moved to the city of Templin, as his father was engaged in the creation of a church educational center, while simultaneously heading a college for pastors.
It is known that Kasler collaborated productively with the communist authorities of the country and enjoyed their trust. He was one of the few who were allowed to travel to the West without hindrance. In material terms, this was expressed in the presence of two cars at once and the opportunity to send my daughter to study at one of the prestigious schools.
But Herpinda’s mother’s career in the GDR did not work out, since she was denied the right to work in the local education system. Therefore, she spent all her time visiting the children (Angela has a younger brother and sister), giving them additional education instead of an after-school group. IN school years the future chancellor was an inconspicuous girl who took her studies very seriously and achieved great results in it.
First of all, she liked the Russian language and mathematics. Angela was not spared from social activities: she was a member of a pioneer and youth organization.
In 1973, Angela successfully graduated from school, passing the final exams, and entered the University of Leipzig at the Faculty of Physics. Although she did not consider herself an opposition-minded youth, her acquaintance with the dissident writer R. Kunze, which occurred during her studies, had important for the development of a politician’s personality. In 1978, the graduate without any complaints defended her thesis on the speed of bimolecular reactions in a dense medium, and wanted to get a job at the Higher Technical School in Ilmenau, but was refused.
Scientific path
Failure to find a job forced the future chancellor to move to Berlin, where she received a position in the department of theoretical chemistry at the Central Institute of Physical Chemistry. Here she was actively engaged scientific activities, which allowed her in 1986, under the leadership of Lutz Ziuluke, to defend her dissertation and receive a doctorate in natural sciences, subsequently moving to work in the department of analytical chemistry.
At the same time, Merkel was actively involved in public activities, being a member of the district committee of the SSNM in the status of secretary for agitation and propaganda. However, she did not officially join any opposition movements and was not a member of any party in the democratic bloc of the GDR.
First steps in politics
While working at the Central Institute of Physical Chemistry, she was not seriously interested in politics. Everything would change in 1989, when Merkel joined the Democratic Awakening and then became the organization's press secretary. Soon she will be invited to the press service of the only remaining non-communist government of the GDR, headed by L. De Maizières. Getting into the power structures was made possible thanks to the fall of the Berlin Wall, which became a symbol of the collapse of the communist regime. This event had an indelible impression on the future chancellor. In one interview, she even admitted that her family dreamed of waiting for this moment and made a wish to book a table on this occasion in one of the restaurants in West Berlin. IN last government Merkel's GDR worked until October 3, 1990, when Germany was reunified.
While in her new position, Angela began to appear frequently at negotiations and on television, so she came to the attention of the then head of the German government, G. Kohl, who needed little-known politicians from the newly annexed lands, especially literate and educated women. Merkel fully met these requirements. The first parliamentary elections of a united Germany demonstrated the remarkable political talent of Angela, who did not hesitate to campaign even in pubs in search of votes. Although not all the promises given to the people came true, even then the aspiring politician demonstrated a very important quality - the ability to show empathy and listen to people.
So she got into the Bundestag from the CDU in the constituency of Rügen-Stralsund-Pmerania and, under the patronage of party leader G. Kohl, became Minister of Women and Youth Affairs. Sharp-tongued journalists immediately called the future Bundeschancellor “Kol’s girl.”
However, in this position Merkel had one significant drawback - she did not have authority and power within the CDU, which prevented her from building far-reaching political plans. Angela tried to turn the situation around by nominating herself for the post of party chairman in the state of Brandenburg, but failed, losing to W. Fink. At the end of 1991, Merkel was elected to replace Lothar de Maizières as deputy chairman of the CDU. The scandalous departure of Günther Krause, who, as head of the Ministry of Transport, was involved in the distribution of illegal licenses, allowed Merkel to become state chairman of the CDU in the district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in 1993. She will remain in this post until 2000.
On the way to the heights of power
After the next parliamentary elections in 1994, Merkel received a new ministerial portfolio in the fifth cabinet of G. Kohl - this time she was sent to lead environment and nuclear safety. The turning point in political biography Bundeschancellor became 1998, when for the first time in a long time the CDU/CSU bloc suffered a serious defeat in the parliamentary elections. Angela also failed in her constituency, gaining about 37% of the vote instead of 48% in the last election. This failure aggravated the issue of changing the leadership of the party and called into question the presence of the “eternal” G. Kohl at its helm.
Merkel took advantage of this situation to decisively break ties with the “old guard” and its leader Kohl. In 1999, she published an article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, in which she condemned the behavior of the leader of the CDU related to the illegal attraction of sponsorship funds. “Like a teenager at puberty, the party must break away from the parental home and go its own way.”, she wrote then. This forced Kohl to resign as honorary chairman of the party. But he did not go unanswered, saying that when she came to the CDU, this lady did not even know how to use a knife and fork.
The scandal partially affected the current head of the party, V. Schäuble, who was forced to admit accepting sponsorship from the military-industrial lobby. In February 2000, he announced his resignation, and Merkel, as general secretary, the party actually led it. Later entry into political activity turned out to be for her benefit: Angela would be among the few who were not involved in dubious scams.
Chairman of the CDU
In April 2000, at the next congress of the CDU, Merkel was elected chairman of the party, and Friedrich Merz turned out to be the leader of the parliamentary faction. In the period 2000-2001, the party managed to strengthen its position in the federal states, but the key parliamentary elections of 2002 were left to competitors in the form of the SPD and the Greens, led by Gerhard Schröder and Joschka Fischer.
Having been defeated in the struggle for power, Merkel decided to focus on the parliamentary struggle against Schröder, entering into a confrontation for the post of head of the faction with F. Merz. But due to Stoiber’s support for Merkel, he was forced to give up his influential position. Thanks to Angela’s efforts, the role of the CDU in the Bundesrat increased significantly, which made it possible to influence current events even while in opposition. At this time, she, unlike the federal government, expressed full support for the actions of the American Bush cabinet in Iraq, proposed the idea of a “privileged partnership” for Turkey and managed to condemn Muslims for their failure to integrate into European society.
In 2004, Merkel managed to get into office federal president her protege Horst Köhler, preventing V. Schäuble from receiving this post, who was supported by her party opponents F. Merz and R. Koch. This significantly strengthened the position of Angela, whose candidacy from the CDU/CSU bloc was nominated in the early parliamentary elections scheduled by G. Schröder for the fall of 2005. As a result, the Merkel-led coalition won 35.2% (versus 38.5% in 2002), while the SPD received just over 34%.
Before negotiations on the creation of a coalition government, Merkel received serious support from the party in the form of the post of faction chairman (219 out of 222 votes). “A person who does not have the support of his own party cannot lead Germany along the right path,” she said. On November 22, 2005, she was elected Federal Chancellor of Germany by deputies of parliament with a result of 397 votes out of 611. Having received this position, she became the first by many criteria - as a woman, as a representative of the new federal states and as a government leader with a natural science education.
Federal Chancellor
At the head of the largest European state, Merkel proposed business style governance of the country, which appealed to both voters and specialists. In 2006, she proposed a program of activities related to reform of many areas, including energy, finance, family and labor relations, and health care. There were noticeable successes in this field, when it was possible to stop a serious increase in unemployment.
In 2007, to everyone’s amazement, the XIV Dalai Lama met with the spiritual leader of Tibet, although she immediately asked not to consider this step as a reflection of her position on the attitude towards Tibetan autonomy.
The Federal Chancellor builds her foreign policy course based on the United States, so she contributed to a significant cooling of relations with Russia and is one of the ardent supporters of maintaining anti-Russian sanctions. “Russia acts by the law of the jungle”, - Merkel is sure. At the same time, she is cautious about the participation of the German armed forces in resolving local conflicts in the Middle East. In general, as has been accurately noted, in international affairs Merkel is increasingly acting as a crisis manager. And although she is not liked in Greece, in the Old World the majority positively assesses Angela’s contribution to saving the eurozone.
Angela Merkel can hardly be called a politician with strong charisma. She does not have a brightly memorable image and catchy, original ideas. Her wardrobe is often dull and monotonous, and her haircut is completely unremarkable. All of her life path more like the path of a nomenklatura worker who waited a long time and fully realized his chance. Merkel is difficult to compare with the “Iron Lady” M. Thatcher, who in her best years could force even her opponents to listen to herself. However, this does not prevent the chancellor from teaching a history lesson at school or drinking beer with ordinary people at the festival in Munich.
Incredibly, it was this seemingly fragile woman who was able to lay her hands on the largest political force country and is already in his third term quite confidently leading the largest European economy. During the 2013 election race, Merkel appeared as a national leader who avoided sharp edges and was able to consolidate society. This position appeals to voters, who again entrusted her with governing the country for 4 years.
Personal life
In 1974, at one of the events organized as part of an exchange between students of the GDR and the USSR, Angela met Ulrich Merkel, who studied physics in Vogtland. Three years later they will have a church marriage in Templin Church. However, this union was short-lived, and in 1982 the couple filed for divorce without having children.
In 1984, Angela met her current husband, chemist Joachim Sauer, but they officially legalized their relationship only in 1998. The Federal Chancellor has no children. On this occasion she said: “I didn’t rule out this possibility, but it didn’t work out”.
