The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel

Chapter 9 focuses on Merkel’s ability to maintain a private life despite her high-profile role. Merkel has always prioritized her personal space, which has been crucial in managing the stresses of her political career. Her private retreat is a simple cottage in Brandenburg, where she leads a modest life with her husband, Joachim Sauer. Merkel enjoys cooking, listening to opera, and taking walks, although she always has to maintain a security team nearby. Despite the pressures of her office, she has kept her personal life separate and has never invited her staff into her home.

Her relationship with Sauer, whom she married in a simple ceremony without inviting their families, is central to Merkel’s emotional and mental stability. Sauer sometimes acts as a consultant, listening to Merkel and providing advice. Mostly, however, he has a separate life, focusing on his work as a scientist and providing an intimate retreat for Merkel, away from public life. He takes care of household tasks and helps Merkel maintain a balanced life.

Merkel’s preference for privacy extends to her social interactions, with her often mingling with creative individuals rather than politicians. She prefers to maintain close friendships with artists and intellectuals, valuing their company and perspectives over those within her political sphere. This aspect of her life shows her intellectual curiosity and desire for meaningful, non-political conversations.

Despite her private nature, Merkel sometimes reveals parts of her personality to the public, such as her interest in soccer, her passion for reading history books, and her interest in cultural events, which she attends sometimes together with her husband. Her ability to balance a private life with her public duties has been key to her resilience and longevity in office.

Chapter 10 details Angela Merkel’s visit to the United States Congress in 2009, where she delivered a heartfelt speech reflecting on the significance of the American Dream and expressing gratitude for America’s support in Germany’s reunification. Merkel’s speech was unique for its nature, revealing her admiration for American ideals and her appreciation for the support of American soldiers and diplomats in post-war Germany. Merkel understands the American Dream as giving everyone an equal ability to achieve their best life if they try.

Despite the warm reception in the US, Merkel’s relationship with President Barack Obama had a slow start. Merkel did not appreciate Obama’s charisma, overconfidence, and style of public speaking. She values humility and calculated strategy rather than public performance, which Obama excelled at. Additionally, when first visiting Germany, Obama asked to speak at the historic Brandenburg Gate, an 18th-century monument whose view was hindered during the years of the Berlin Wall for the citizens of East Germany and is considered a lasting European symbol. Merkel did not allow Obama’s performance at the Brandenburg Gate, instead proposing he hold his speech at the less-iconic Victory Column.

Obama and Merkel’s relationship evolved over time. Both leaders shared a pragmatic approach to governance, valuing facts and detailed briefings. Merkel admired Obama’s intellect, and despite initial reservations, she grew to respect him. However, their differing styles and political philosophies occasionally led to friction. One significant disagreement was over the intervention in Libya in 2011. Merkel abstained from the UN vote on a no-fly zone, wary of the potential for another prolonged conflict like Iraq. This decision exemplified Merkel’s cautious approach to military intervention, contrasting with Obama’s more proactive stance. However, this stance also isolated Merkel internationally, as her stance on peace was not popular.

The tensest moment in the Merkel-Obama relationship came in 2013, when whistleblower Edward Snowden made public classified documents in the US, which revealed that Merkel’s phone had been tapped by the Obama administration. Although Merkel was extremely cautious in all her interactions and had not revealed any important information, she considered that such action was a breach of trust, and the situation led to a diplomatic rift between the two countries. Nevertheless, in time, Merkel’s practical outlook overcame the rift, and the two leaders moved past the incident.

Chapter 11 examines Angela Merkel’s leadership throughout the 2008 economic world crisis. This historic moment tested Merkel’s leadership. Marton notes that the crisis exposed the inherent flaws in the EU, such as the absence of a central banking system like the US Federal Reserve and the reduced labor mobility among member states.

Merkel, initially unfamiliar with the complexities of global finance, had to adapt to the new economic realities. Germany’s conservative financial practices placed it in a safe spot financially when other states experienced economic struggles. However, this also led to resentment toward Germany coming from other countries. More than this, as Germany was in a position to help or not help other members of the EU, the austerity measures that followed amplified that resentment.

Merkel had to decide whether to help Greece and other hard-hit countries or risk the stability of the euro. Her finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, suggested dropping Greece from the eurozone, but Merkel aimed for reform rather than eviction. She advocated for austerity measures, believing in fiscal discipline and the importance of maintaining the euro. This stance, however, earned her criticism and portrayed her as unsympathetic to the suffering of regular people.

Her approach and insistence on austerity were seen as punitive, especially in countries like Greece, where anti-German sentiment started to be expressed regularly. Protests erupted, and Merkel was depicted as the primary enforcer of painful economic measures, at some point depicted as a Nazi leader, which was deeply shocking to her. Eventually, Merkel partnered with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the two countries managed to stabilize the EU economically.

Nevertheless, Merkel’s conservative approach to the crisis, which resulted in a bailout for Greece and imposed austerity measures, gave rise to the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which opposed Merkel’s support of Greece during the crisis, maintaining that the Germans should not support poorer countries. This signaled a significant shift in German politics.