Irish Examiner View: Merkel was pragmatic and steady leader

Despite a reluctance to ever introduce any radical change, there is much to admire about Angela Merkel's time as chancellor of Germany.

Angela Merkel enjoyed 16 years as German chancellor. Picture: Kay Nietfeld/Pool via AP

As Olaf Scholz becomes chancellor of Germany, political pundits will be assessing the legacy of his predecessor, Angela Merkel.

Her pragmatic leadership has been a steadying influence on the EU. On the one hand, she was the dour enforcer of strict fiscal policy during the financial crisis. On the other, in her 16 years as chancellor, she weathered a string of crises, from economic to pandemic.

Growing up under a socialist regime in East Germany, she came to admire Western values and the EU. 

“Until the age of 35, I only knew the European Union from the outside, and have only been an insider since 1990,” Ms Merkel told the European Parliament in 2007.

From the outside, the European Union is a historic success story without precedent. Yet from the inside, too, the European Union is a wonderful house. I am convinced there is no better place for us to live than in our shared European home.”

While she deserves criticism for imposing austerity measures on Greece, in particular, during the financial collapse, her compassion was evident in the way she handled the refugee crisis. 

She also provided steady leadership during the pandemic, presenting with France’s Emmanuel Macron a stimulus plan to include debt-sharing among EU nations.

Cautious by nature, she managed crises rather than solved them, say critics. Yet, thanks largely to her efforts and despite Brexit, our shared European home is still standing.