Angela Merkel

Angela Dorothea Merkel (German: Angela Dorothea Merkel) is a German statesman and politician. Federal Chancellor of Germany (since November 22, 2005), leader of the Christian Democratic Union (since April 10, 2000). The first and only woman in the history of Germany as Chancellor.

Merkel was born July 17, 1954 in Hamburg in the family of a teacher of foreign languages (English and Latin) and the pastor of the Lutheran Church in Berlin-Brandeburg. She has Polish roots. In 1954, the family moved to the territory of the GDR, where Angela spent her childhood and youth.

Merkel graduated from the faculty of physics at the University of Leipzig in 1978 and worked as a researcher at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the GDR Academy of Sciences until 1990, where in 1986 she defended her doctoral thesis in physics.

Merkel entered politics after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In 1989, Angela Merkel took a job at the political party Democratic Breakthrough.

In 1990 Merkel became a member of the Bundestag.

In 1991 she became vice chairman of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU).

From 1994 to 1998, she served as Minister of the Environment.

In 2000 Merkel became head of the Christian Democratic Union. She would later be supported by the Christian-Social Union party in Bavaria (CSU).

On November 22, 2005, she was elected Federal Chancellor of Germany, becoming the first woman Federal Chancellor and also the youngest (at the age of 51) Federal Chancellor in the history of Germany, as well as the first representative of the new Federal States in this position and the first Chancellor with a degree in natural sciences.

Merkel has a centrist position in the CDU , advocating the transformation of the CDU into a "people's party," relying on a broad cross-section of voters. The new Europe, she says, must face everyone, including minor social and ethnic groups.

In foreign policy, Merkel is known for her support of the American course, advocating rapprochement with the United States. In addition, she advocates a "special relationship" and a new alliance with France. Also, she has repeatedly made it clear that she opposes Turkey joining the EU.

Merkel is a member of the group to resolve the situation in eastern Ukraine and the implementation of the Minsk agreements (the Normandy Four).

Merkel expressed disapproval of Russia's aggression in Ukraine. In her opinion, "the criminal annexation of Crimea, which violates international law, and the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine" have seriously undermined Russian-German relations. He is a supporter of imposing and extending sanctions against Russia .

From 2004 to 2017, Angela Merkel became the most influential woman politician in the world 12 times according to Forbes magazine. In 2006 and 2007, Time magazine included German Chancellor Angela Merkel in its list of the 100 most influential people on the planet, and in 2015 it recognized her as Person of the Year, calling her the most powerful leader in Europe. The British business publication Financial Times also named German Chancellor Angela Merkel the 2015 person of the year.

Marital status: Married to Joachim Sauer, professor of chemistry. No children.