Berlin (Associated Press)-After Angela Merkel became Germany's first female Chancellor on November 22, 2005, she was convinced that she would have a place in the history books.

In the next 16 years, she was believed to have raised Germany's image and influence, worked hard to unite a turbulent European Union, dealt with a series of crises, and became a role model for women.

Now, her near-record term ends with her leaving office at the age of 67, in order to win foreign praise and lasting popularity at home. Her designated successor, Olaf Scholz, is expected to take office on Wednesday.

Merkel is a former scientist who grew up in communism East Germany. Her former mentor Helmut Kohl reunified Germany during her tenure from 1982 to 1998. Her longevity record is Bimmer Kerr was still about a week away.

Although Merkel may lack compelling and iconic achievements, the center-right Christian Democrats began to be seen as an indispensable crisis manager and defender of Western values ​​during turbulent times.

She has worked with four American presidents, four French presidents, five British prime ministers and eight Italian prime ministers. Her tenure as prime minister faces four major challenges: the global financial crisis, the European debt crisis, the influx of refugees into Europe in 2015-16, and the coronavirus pandemic.

"It is undeniable that she has given Germany a lot of soft power," said Suda David-Wilp, deputy director of the German Marshall Foundation in the Berlin office. "There is no doubt that she has raised Germany's image in the world. "

"When she first appeared in 2005, many people underestimated her, but with Germany's status in the world, her status has continued to improve," David Wilp added. Others in Europe and other regions "hope that Germany will have more of an active role in the world-before she takes office, this may not be the case, it is inevitable."

In the video message of Merkel's last EU summit in October, former US President Barack Obama thanked her for "standing on the commanding heights for many years."

"Thanks to you, the center has withstood many storms," ​​he said.

Merkel was the impetus for the EU to impose sanctions on Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, and was the first to implement a diplomatic solution that has not yet been completed there. David Wilp said that she was considered "to be able to represent the West in dialogue with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin."

She unswervingly seeks multilateral solutions to world problems. This is the principle she put forward at the military parade held for her last week.

Merkel said that the global financial crisis and the influx of immigrants “clearly show how much we rely on transnational cooperation and how indispensable international institutions and multilateral tools are in meeting the major challenges of our time”, and identified these as Climate change, digitization and migration.

This position is in sharp contrast with former US President Donald Trump, whose relationship with Trump is very difficult. In their first meeting at the White House in March 2017, when the photographer yelled for them to shake hands, she quietly asked Trump: "Do you want to shake hands?" But the president who looked forward to the future did not respond.

Merkel dismissed the label of "leader of the free world" during that period, saying that leadership was never determined by a single person or a country.

Despite this, she is still regarded as a key leader in the clumsy 27-nation EU, known for her perseverance in coaxing agreements in marathon negotiations.

"Multiple sclerosis. Merkel is a compromise machine," Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said recently. When negotiations were blocked, she "mainly found something that would unite us to advance things."

This became apparent in July 2020, when EU leaders reached an agreement on an unprecedented 1.8 trillion euro (2 trillion US dollars) budget and the Coronavirus Recovery Fund after a controversial four-day summit.

At her 107th and last EU summit, European Council President Charles Michel told Merkel: “You are a monument.” He added that a summit without her is like “Rome without the Vatican or without Paris from the Eiffel Tower".

Although there have been many frictions over the years, the appreciation from her colleagues is sincere. Merkel has always tried to keep the EU as close as possible, but firmly defended Germany's interests. During the debt crisis, it clashed with Greece and was different from Hungary, Poland and other countries because they refused to accept immigrants who arrived in Europe. Different from Germany.

Merkel said that she will withdraw from the European Union, "in this case, it certainly worries me."

"We have overcome many crises in a spirit of respect and have always worked hard to find a common solution," she said. "But we also have a series of unresolved problems, and my successor still has a big task to complete."

The same is true at home, and her record-dominated by the crises she resolved, including the renewed pandemic when she stepped down-is a mixed blessing. She left Germany with a lower unemployment rate and a healthier financial situation, but there were also well-documented digital flaws—many health departments used fax machines to transmit data during the pandemic—and critics said there was a lack of investment in infrastructure.

She has made progress in promoting renewable energy, but has also been criticized for slow progress on climate change issues. After announcing in 2018 that she would not seek a fifth term, she failed to achieve a smooth transition of power in her own party, which ended in failure in the September general election in Germany.

The incoming ruling coalition under Schultz said that after years of stagnation, it hopes to "strive for more progress" for Germany.

But the overall judgment of the Germans still seems to be favorable. During the campaign, she was largely absent, and Merkel's approval rating exceeded her three potential successors. Unlike her seven predecessors in post-war Germany, she will step down at a time of her choosing.

Merkel's body language and facial expressions sometimes give people a glimpse of her inexpressible reactions. She once lamented that she could not put on a poker face: "I have given up. I can't do it."

She was not intimidated by Putin's style. The Russian president took his Labrador to a meeting with Merkel in 2007. Merkel later stated that after being bitten by a dog, she "has a certain degree of concern" for the dog.

She has never been the most attractive political operator, but this is part of her appeal-the prime minister continues to spend tedious walking holidays, occasionally people see her shopping in the supermarket and live with her before assuming the highest position. In the same Berlin apartment.

Merkel was named "the most influential woman in the world" by Forbes magazine for 10 consecutive years. She stepped down for breaking through the glass ceiling of male-dominated politics-although she also faced criticism for not working harder to fight for more Gender equality.

Obama said: "Many people, men and women, have a role model that they can admire in challenging times."

The relationship between former President George W. Bush and Merkel’s predecessor Gerhard Schroeder was worsened by Merkel’s predecessor Gerhard Schroeder’s opposition to the US-led war in Iraq. He said “Angela’s The arrival has completely changed this."

"Angela Merkel has brought class and dignity to a very important position and made very difficult decisions... and doing so is based on principles," Bush told the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle in July. He described her as "a compassionate leader, a woman who is not afraid of leadership."

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