What is the history of famous Angela Merkel in detail?
Angela Merkel is a German politician who has served as the Chancellor of Germany since 2005. She was born Angela Dorothea Kasner on July 17, 1954, in Hamburg, West Germany. Her father, Horst Kasner, was a Lutheran pastor, and her mother, Herlind Jentzsch, was an English and Latin teacher. Angela Merkel grew up in East Germany, specifically in Templin in the German Democratic Republic (GDR).
Merkel excelled as a student, particularly in math and science, and she went on to study physics at the University of Leipzig from 1973 to 1978. During her time at university, she became a member of the Free German Youth (FDJ), which was the official communist youth movement. However, she was not deeply involved in politics at this stage.
After completing her studies, Merkel worked as a research scientist at the Central Institute for Physical Chemistry at the Academy of Sciences in East Berlin. It was during this time that she married her first husband, Ulrich Merkel, in 1977. However, they divorced in 1982, and Angela kept her ex-husband's surname, which she is known by today.
In the late 1980s, Merkel became increasingly involved in politics as East Germany witnessed significant political changes. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent reunification of Germany in 1990 presented new opportunities. Merkel joined the newly formed Democratic Awakening party, which later merged with the Social Union Party to form the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
In March 1991, Merkel was appointed Minister for Women and Youth in the government of Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Her rise within the CDU was quick, and she held various ministerial positions, including Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, from 1994 to 1998.
In April 2000, Merkel became the first female chair of the CDU, marking a significant milestone in German politics. However, her popularity initially suffered due to her association with Kohl, who had been involved in a financial scandal. Merkel distanced herself from Kohl and focused on leading the CDU in a new direction.
The CDU performed poorly in the 2002 federal elections, and Merkel faced criticism within her party. However, she rebounded, positioning herself as a centrist and advocating for economic reform. In 2005, she successfully ran for Chancellor, becoming the first woman to hold the office in Germany.
Merkel's time as Chancellor has been marked by various significant events. Her response to the global financial crisis and the European debt crisis earned her praise internationally. She was re-elected as Chancellor in 2009, 2013, and 2017. Merkel has remained a steadfast supporter of the European Union and has played a key role in negotiating on behalf of Germany in EU summits and international affairs.
Additionally, Merkel has been praised for her leadership during the 2015 European migrant crisis, where she allowed over a million refugees into Germany. However, this decision also faced criticism, leading to a rise in far-right and anti-immigrant sentiments within the country.
In 2018, Merkel announced that she would not seek re-election and would step down as Chancellor in 2021. She has been widely regarded as a powerful and influential leader, known for her cautious and pragmatic style of politics.
Overall, Angela Merkel's history is one of perseverance, political acumen, and making crucial decisions in times of crisis. Her leadership as Germany's first female Chancellor has left a lasting impact on the country and its international relations.