Irish Examiner view: Merkel's legacy one of co-operation and consensus

As German chancellor Angela Merkel prepares to depart as the de facto leader of the EU, she has outlasted three US presidents — George W Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump

Angela Merkel: In her 16 years as chancellor of Germany, she weathered many storms. Picture: Michele Tantussi/AP

Only Otto von Bismarck and Helmut Kohl served longer as Germany’s chancellor than Angela Merkel. Bismarck built an empire and is credited with saying that “politics is the art of the possible”. Kohl was the architect of German reunification and ensured the successful launch of the euro by agreeing to the replacement of the deutschmark.

Merkel’s achievements are more modest but, in her own way, she has had an equally profound effect on the country she has led for 16 years. She has outlasted three US presidents — George W Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.