Biography of Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel (née Kasner) is an influential European politician and the head of the Federal Government of Germany who became the country's first female Chancellor. Under her leadership, Germany gained economic strength, and she herself became a symbol of stability in Europe and a key figure in addressing the most challenging issues in European politics: from managing the refugee crisis to uniting the continent in the face of disagreements with then-President of the United States, Donald Trump."Dubbed "The European Iron Lady" by the media, she secured her fourth term as Chancellor, outlasting even Margaret Thatcher's 11-year run as Prime Minister. In 2021, Merkel decided not to run for a fifth term, and Olaf Scholz became the new Chancellor of Germany.

Childhood and Youth
The future champion of Western liberalism was born on July 17, 1954, in West Germany. When Angela was just an infant, her family relocated to East Germany after her father, Lutheran clergyman Horst Kasner, was offered a pastorate in Perleberg. A Berlin native, he had Polish roots. Angela's mother, Gerlinda Kasner (née Jentzsch), was an English and Latin teacher from the city of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland).


Career Path
As the Berlin Wall fell in this historic moment, the young scientist joined the popular political movement "Democratic Awakening," made up primarily of church leaders. In 1990, she joined the East German government office and participated in numerous meetings preparing for eastern Germany's integration. In August, "Democratic Awakening" became part of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).



In foreign policy, she worked to maintain balanced relationships with all partners while prioritizing cooperation with the United States. She showed unwavering resolve on critical decisions, tackling issues from Greece's sovereign debt crisis to Brexit and refugee integration. She built solid working relations with Russia, despite having criticized Schröder's overly cozy relationship with Putin.

Personal Life
In 1977, under the socialist regime, Angela Merkel married physics student Ulrich Merkel. But after five years, they split up. She later called the marriage a mistake.


Angela Merkel Now
Back in 2018, Merkel announced she wouldn't run for a fifth term as Germany's Chancellor and would step down as leader of the Christian Democratic Union. Political analysts tied her decision to the CDU's declining popularity and its coalition troubles with the Social Democrats—in parliamentary elections, the parties lost 11% of their vote share compared to 2013.