BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) – Angela Merkel’s exit from the podium is raising fears of a hole in the EU’s heart during challenging times – but there is also hope for a wind of change.
Tributes are mounting for the German leader – dubbed the “Queen of Europe” by some observers after 16 years as chancellor – ahead of an election later this week to choose a successor.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte praised Merkel’s “enormous authority” after helping steer Europe through years of unrest, including the financial crisis, migrant crisis, Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who served under Merkel as German defense minister, underscored how important the former physicist’s analytical skills were to unlocking endless EU talks.
“She can always put things in the context of the many years in Europe that she helped shape,” von der Leyen said. “And often, when we come to an impasse, she’ll throw up an idea and then we’re on the move again. We’ll miss it.”
“Of course, his departure leaves a void,” Janice Emmanouillidis of the European Policy Center told AFP.
He called the “end of an era” for the 27-nation bloc, the longest-serving current leader of the European Union.
Newly appointed German Chancellor Angela Merkel took the oath of office at the Parliament in Berlin on November 22, 2005. (AP photo/Fritz Rees, file)
practical manager
Few will remember Merkel for any visionary speech on the future of Europe.
But it has been his much-publicized image as a pragmatic manager that has seen him help maintain unity within the European Union during what Emmanouillidis described as one of “enduring crises”.
He said he has shown “consistency and perseverance,” qualities that have made him a prominent leader in Europe.
“The next chancellor must first gain stature before he is able to take his place in this role.”
Merkel’s steady hand has seen her build a positive reputation across much of the continent.
In a survey conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in 12 EU countries, 41 percent of respondents said they would support Merkel if she were to vote for the fictional role of “President” of the European Union. .
“Merkel’s approach to negotiating competing interests is a major source of Berlin’s positive image,” the think-tank said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel walks through rubble as she visits the flood-ravaged city of Iversheim, near Bad Münstereifel, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in West Germany on July 20, 2021. (Wolfgang Ratte/Pool/AFP)
But he has also been criticized for his handling of some major challenges.
During the eurozone debt crisis in early 2010, Merkel was reprimanded for delays in coming to aid indebted countries such as Greece, raising fears of a collapse of the single currency.
He then attracted widespread popular anger in Greece for the dire circumstances imposed on Athens as part of a bailout.
‘Diffidence’
Former European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker commended Merkel for opening Germany’s borders during the 2015 migrant crisis and helping prepare a 750 billion euro ($879 billion) rescue plan from the pandemic.
But he pushed back those portraying him as the savior of Europe.
“It is the German narrative that seeks to present it as if it were at the root of all solutions to these dire crises,” Juncker said. “I don’t underestimate the role she played, but I am far from underestimating it after experiencing her hesitation.”
Former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker attends the EU headquarters in Brussels on December 3, 2019. (Pool Photo via Kenzo Triboulard, AP)
Spain’s former foreign minister, Ana Palacio, wrote an editorial that criticized Merkel’s “tactics of waiting for desperate measures for desperate situations”.
She argued that it “often benefits rule breakers,” such as right-wing Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán, who has been accused of pulling his country away from European values.
Merkel faces historic challenges with the European Union – from recovering from the pandemic to fighting climate change, to playing a geopolitical role for Europe caught between the United States and China.
“It is impossible to address the most pressing challenges facing Europe,” wrote ECFR analysts, emphasizing that they require “not only cosmetic changes but political support for more radical solutions.”
“The EU will need a more visionary and courageous Germany to strengthen its foundation and defend its place in the world.”