Angela Dorothea Merkel (nee Kasner, born July 17, 1954 in Hamburg) is a German politician. Since 22 November 2005 she is German Chancellor since April 2000 and national chairman of the CDU.
From 1990 to 1994 was Merkel, Federal Minister for Women and Youth and from 1994 to 1998 as Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in the Cabinet Kohl. From 1998 to 2000 she served as Secretary General of the CDU.
On the Forbesliste Merkel is for four years in a row (2006-2009), the most powerful woman in the world.

Angela Merkel was on 17 July 1954 in Hamburg, the first child of Horst Kasner (August 6, 1926 in Berlin-Pankow) and Herlind, born Jentzsch (born July 8, 1928 in Gdansk) was born. Horst Kasner had initially then studied theology in Heidelberg and Hamburg, his wife was a teacher of Latin and English.

Even in 1954, several weeks after the birth of his daughter, the family moved from Hamburg via Kasner in the GDR. For the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg Kasner was a pastor's position in the village Quitzow (now about 350 inhabitants), today part of Perleberg, an. The family lived in the local rectory.

Three years later, in 1957, Horst Kasner moved permanently into the town Uckermärkische Templin. There he participated in the development of a training within the church body. On 7 July 1957 was born Angela's brother, Marcus Kasner, 19 August 1964 her sister Irene.

Horst Kasner Templin worked in not more than the parish priest, but as a longtime director of the Pastoral College - an important position within the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg. Kasner was regarded as a religious leader who was not in opposition to the GDR government and the church policy of the SED. He was a member of the Weißenseer and was working from the perspective of governance as one of "progressive" forces within the church. The Kasner had certain privileges, such as trips to the West, but was Herlind Kasner, the activity in the GDR school system denied. The teacher used her time to care for your children, so Angela Kasner attended either nursery or refuge.
School years (1961-1973)

1961 Angela Kasner was at the Polytechnic School (POS) enrolled in Templin.

As a school child and a teenager, she is described by teachers and classmates as a more subtle, but socially well integrated. Were striking their outstanding academic performance, particularly in Russian and mathematics. Angela Kasner not participated in the youth initiation of her class, instead she was on 3 May 1970 in St Mary Magdalene Church confirmed in Templin. She placed her high school in 1973 (GPA: 1.0) at the Advanced School (EOS) in Templin.

Angela Kasner was a member of the Pioneer organization, Ernst Thalmann, and the Free German Youth (FDJ).

Angela Kasner had already decided during their school for the study of physics at the then Karl Marx University, and moved in 1973 after Leipzig. She was not among the opposing forces within the GDR, but reported to have met during these years the author Reiner Kunze, whom she described as her favorite writer.

During her studying physics at Leipzig learned Angela Kasner in 1974 the exchange scheme with physics students in Moscow and Leningrad, her first husband, the familiar physics students coming from the Vogtland Ulrich Merkel. On 3 September 1977 the two were married in church in Templin.

Angela Merkel's thesis from June 1978 entitled The influence of spatial correlation on the reaction of bimolecular elementary reactions in dense media has been rated "very good". The work was simultaneously a contribution to research on Statistical Physics and chemistry of the systems of Isotope and Radiation Research on Statistical Physics and chemistry at the Central Institute of Isotope and Radiation Research of the Academy of Sciences of the GDR (AdW).

After 1978, a failed application at the Technical University of Ilmenau, Angela Merkel and her husband went to East Berlin. Here are the graduate physicist, took a job at the Central Institute of Physical Chemistry (ZIPC the Academy of Sciences in Berlin-Adlershof). Angela Merkel broke up in 1981 by her husband, Ulrich Merkel. The childless marriage ended in divorce in 1982 in East Berlin. At the academy she met in 1984 the chemist Joachim Sauer know her present husband, whom she married 1998th In 1986 Angela Merkel was able to stay for several days in the Federal Republic, for East Germans, this was usually possible only with prior tests for basic loyalty to the state.

At the Central Institute of around 650 people, including approximately 350 scientists, the Institute of the Academy of Sciences was assigned to work. Within the Central Institute of Physical Chemistry Angela Merkel has worked in the field of theoretical chemistry. On 8 January 1986 Angela Merkel, finally gave her dissertation, type: investigation of the mechanism of decomposition reactions with simple bond breaking and calculation of their rate constants on the basis of quantum chemical and statistical methods. Doctor's father was Zülicke Lutz, head of the Theoretical Chemistry at ZIPC. According to the degree of Dr. rer. nat. Angela Merkel moved to the area within the Institute of Analytical Chemistry, her supervisor, Klaus Ulbricht.

Merkel has worked during her time at the academy in the FDJ as a secretary for agitation and propaganda - she calls this activity as "cultural work" that had made her, according to an interview with Günter Gaus, the 1992 fun. She was neither a member of the SED nor any of the block parties, but also worked with not being formed in the GDR opposition.

While the change in the GDR in the autumn of 1989, it became apparent that one part in eastern Germany would emerge a new, democratic party structures and that the other institutes of the Academy of Sciences in its present form would not continue to exist (in fact, they were later than 31 December 1991) resolved. At that time, Merkel started the newly formed Democratic Awakening (DA) to work, first in December 1989 without charge as a temporary computer administrator, from February 1990 then full time as a clerk in the personal environment of the Chairman Wolfgang Schnur in the East Berlin office. Later, she designed leaflets and eventually moved into the position of a quasi-spokesperson.

The Merkel biographer Gerd Langguth (Lit) are reported by numerous friends and acquaintances Merkel from the 1970s and 1980s that manifest themselves irritated that she was ultimately CDU politician, as some expected an ideological proximity to the Greens. Merkel's mother was after the reunification of the SPD and her father is also an active reputed not close to the CDU.

The political orientation of the Democratic Awakening was subjected in his early days yet strong changes. First, the DA as well as the other groups of citizens' movements was (New Forum, Democracy Now), reputed a fundamentally left orientation, but soon a generally negative attitude toward socialism became clear. This was intensified when, in early 1990, West German conservative politicians to the Chamber's first democratic election on 18 March 1990 as General Secretary Volker Ruhe, and working towards the West German CDU, on 5 February 1990, the opposition coalition Alliance for Germany conceived. The Democratic Awakening (DA) was there as a newly formed opposition movement held a key position: Helmut Kohl, former CDU chairman and chancellor did not rely solely on the pre-loaded as a block party east of the CSU, the CDU or close associates of German Social Union (DSU).

The reputation of the DA was significantly weakened, as was a few days before the election, the activity of the DA-chairman Wolfgang Schnur for the Ministry for State Security (Stasi) to the public. It was Merkel's task to lead the press conference, who spoke on the DA board its dismay at the Stasi contacts cord.

The first free elections on the 18th Chamber Ended in March 1990 for Angela Merkel's Democratic Awakening (DA) with a 0.9-percent disaster. Thanks to the unexpected 41 percent for the East-CDU coalition partner, the Alliance for Germany, but in fact joint winner. Under the CDU leading candidate Lothar de Maizière emerged within the following weeks, a coalition consisting of the Alliance, the Social Democrats and the Liberals. On 12 April chose the People's Chamber deputies of the coalition partners as the new Prime Minister Lothar de Maizière the GDR. The Cabinet de Maizières Rainer Eppelmann was a minister for the DA, the department of disarmament and defense. In connection with the "coalition arithmetic" in the distribution of other items deputy government spokeswoman Angela Merkel was the first and last freely elected government, while the GDR.

In the weeks after the People's Chamber election moved surprisingly quickly, the question of German reunification in the political center. Angela Merkel accompanied in her new position, many preparatory meetings, such as the treaty on the establishment of a monetary, economic and social union, on 18 May 1990 in Bonn, has been signed. Relevant chief negotiator on East side was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister of the GDR, Gunther Krause, who was in the next few months, a major supporter of the Chancellor. On 31 August 1990 was finally signed in Bonn by Krause and the Interior Minister of Germany, Wolfgang Schäuble, the Unification Treaty. Angela Merkel acted as deputy government spokeswoman for Lothar de Maizière delegations on trips abroad and was also the conclusion of the Two-Plus-Four Treaty on 12 September 1990 in Moscow there. At this point, the next important date was already set policy: The first all-German Bundestag was on 2 Be elected in December 1990.

The poor performance of the Democratic Awakening (DA) in the People's Chamber election in March 1990 and the development of the next few months led to an affiliation of the DA to the CDU, which was supported by Chancellor Angela Merkel. On 4 August 1990 voted at a special congress of the DA a majority to join the West German CDU - after previous merger with the East-CDU. Merkel was one of three delegates to the DA to "unification congress" of the CDU in Hamburg on 1 and 2 October 1990. In a speech, she stood there before as a former "Spokesperson for the Democratic Awakening" and is a former member of de Maizière. On the eve of the 38th CDU Federal Party Congress, there was a first of Merkel personally initiated with Helmut Kohl, the CDU chairman and chancellor.

With the 3rd October 1990, the date of the reunion, which ended Angela Merkel's work as a deputy government spokeswoman of the GDR. Merkel was given the post of a ministerial department (A 16) in the Federal Press and Information Office (BPA). A return to the institution where she had worked for twelve years, would hardly have been opportune, since the "liquidation" of the Academy of Sciences (AdW) was enshrined in the Unification Treaty. With the secure professional position in the BPA in the back applied Angela Merkel, at a Federal mandate. Through mediation by Gunther Krause, national chairman of the CDU in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Merkel Direktkandidatin candidate in the federal district of Rügen-Stralsund-ache. At the same time she was secured as a list candidate for Position 6 on the national list.
Federal Minister for Women and Youth (1991-1994)
In April 1991 (left, with ministerial colleague Hannelore Rönsch) at the state funeral for Detlev Rohwedder.

In the first all-German Bundestag on 2 December 1990 Angela Merkel won her new constituency with 48.5 percent of the votes first votes. With the inaugural meeting on 20 December 1990 she was Member of the Bundestag.

From the election winner Helmut Kohl, who in November 1990 she was again invited to an interview at the chancellery in Bonn, it was surprisingly nominated for a ministerial post in his cabinet. The old Ministry of Youth, Family, Women and Health was divided into three parts: the Federal Ministry of Health (Gerda Hasselfeldt), the Federal Ministry for Families and Senior Citizens (Hannelore Rönsch) and the Federal Ministry of Women and Youth. Kohl's personnel policy considerations for this small and poor residual competence Ministry resulted in a decision for Angela Merkel, who on 18 January 1991 was sworn in as minister. As a parliamentary state secretary Peter Hintze she chose. Later still came as a tenured State Willi Hausmann.

Angela Merkel was due to its GDR biography not high for many of the West German CDU representatives usual socialization, such as the Junge Union, behind him. Merkel quickly within the party Quereinstieg was built solely on the favor of the Chancellor, from this period is also the name "Kohl's girl" known. During their subsequent intra-party rivals were organized into career networks such as the Andean Pact, "she initially did not have their own power base within the party.

Angela Merkel sought therefore in November 1991, at the CDU chairman in Brandenburg state, but received a one-vote defeat by Ulf Fink. In December 1991 she was elected to the CDU Federal Party Congress in Dresden, Germany as Deputy President in the office which she held before Lothar de Maizière. According to de Maizières came after withdrawal and by Federal Transport Minister Guenther Krause, a controversial licensing of highway in the media, Merkel had one of the few east-biographies unloaded within the CDU. Under the chairmanship of the Protestant Working Group (EAK) from 1992 to 1993 Krause's resignation offered to increase in May 1993, Angela Merkel for a chance to state their position with an internal party chair. It was in June 1993 CDU regional chairman of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Federal Environment Minister (1994-1998)

After the parliamentary elections on 16 October 1994 Angela Merkel was a surprise to the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in the Cabinet of Chancellor Helmut Kohl. In her own constituency, it reached 48.6 percent of the primary vote.

Was Merkel's predecessor, Klaus Toepfer, who was recognized outside of the CDU. Potter's environmental positions and demands met within the economic wing of the CDU and coalition partner, the FDP, however, especially in the growing opposition. Thus, Merkel's swearing in on 17 may November 1994 and the exchange of portfolios to the potter's Minister for Regional Planning, Building and Urban are seen as the politically disempowering. Three months after the election of Angela Merkel dismissed the longtime civil servant Secretary potter, Clemens Stroetmann, and replaced him with Erhard Jauck.
CDU contributions scandal (1999)

The election on 27 Ended in September 1998 for the CDU / CSU and their candidate for chancellor Helmut Kohl with a debacle. The Union scored with 35.2 percent, the worst result since 1949 - was voted the first time an acting government. Angela Merkel's first vote share fell by 11 percentage points to 37.3 percent.

Wolfgang Schäuble, Kohl's "eternal crown prince" had been repeatedly discussed the years 1996/97, the "Candidate Question": The question of which political leaders should take the CDU as chancellor candidate for election. He had himself against Helmut Kohl, the "eternal chancellor", but can not enforce. Even before the election candidates Schauble had made in interviews criticism of Kohl recognize candidacy. In the following the election defeat of the CDU Federal Party in Bonn, on 7 November 1998, he was finally elected as the new national chairman. Schäuble's proposal to Angela Merkel received the Office of the Secretary General of the CDU - one of the most important positions within the federal CDU in her new role as an opposition party without any ministerial posts. Helmut Kohl was elected Honorary Chairman, with headquarters in the Bureau and the Federal Executive of the party.

The next months brought the CDU some good results and state elections in June 1999, in the European elections, outstanding 48.7 percent (1994: 38.8 percent) for the CDU / CSU. The tendency of the German voters punish the incumbent party at the federal level in other elections, "was" already in the Kohl era - in reverse - known. Nevertheless, the good electoral results were based on public and internal party position of secretary general of the CDU, Angela Merkel.

In November 1999 came the CDU contributions scandal in the media. After an interview on ZDF Helmut Kohl on 16 December 1999 was public, that had the ex-Chancellor and President of the CDU's honorary chairman received during his chancellorship, on political contributions laws by millions. Kohl refused to name the donor or to and referred to his "honor". Secretary Merkel published 22 December 1999 a guest article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in which she criticized Helmut Kohl's position and urging the Party to be umbilical cord:

"The party must learn to run, therefore, needs to trust herself in the future, even without their old warhorse like Helmut Kohl has often called himself happy to take up the struggle with political opponents. It must resolve how someone in puberty from home, go their own way. "

On 18 January 2000, Helmut Kohl was the CDU Federal Executive Board and asked to suspend its honorary chairman until the naming of donors. Kohl responded with his resignation from the Honorary Chair. Meanwhile he had with the acting national chairman CDU, Wolfgang Schäuble, started a partially publicly-run debate. Schauble itself had been struck by the party financing scandal: He was on 10 Have received in January 2000 to ARD in an interview, donation of an arms lobbyist Karlheinz Schreiber to when he is still on 2 December 1999 denied the German Bundestag. After the former CDU treasurer Brigitte Baumeister contradictory statements about the details of the money transfer was made, was Wolfgang Schäuble as CDU chairman of the Federal no longer tenable.
CDU Chairman (2000)

On 16 Wolfgang Schäuble said in February 2000 before the CDU / CSU parliamentary group of his resignation as party and group chairman. In the following weeks, the party was leaderless and Angela Merkel found himself as General Secretary in a key position. During this time, found nine so-called "regional conferences took place. They had originally been scheduled to discuss the CDU contributions scandal with the party base and work up. These local party meetings crystallized support for Angela Merkel as Schäuble-successor. Merkel came to her later Quereinstieg benefit now: She was in the public and at the base as the party donations unencumbered. Spoke out at an early stage of the opposition leader in Lower Saxony, Christian Wulff for Merkel. Volker Ruhe, Friedrich Merz, and Edmund Stoiber, however critical of her candidacy should have.

On 10 April 2000 was elected Angela Merkel at the CDU Federal Party in Essen with 897 of 935 valid votes cast for the new CDU Federal Chairperson. New CDU Secretary-General was on Merkel's proposal, Ruprecht Polenz. The chair of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group became Friedrich Merz. The new management trio lived on 14 July a first bitter political defeat, although the red-green government does not have the necessary majority in the Bundesrat decreed that it had managed to pull in the vote on the proposed tax reform, some states with a CDU government participation on their side. Already in November 2000 broke up Angela Merkel of the in the media as moderately assessed Secretary Ruprecht Polenz. As his successor, she chose Laurenz Meyer, who appeared more aggressive and the public on 23 November with the faux pas: "A second mistake they can not afford to" surprise. It referred to Merkel's initial staff decision Ruprecht Polenz.

The years 2000 and 2001, bestowed the CDU under Merkel - also as a result of the donations affair - no major state election successes. The red-green government seemed to contrast established at present and gave the opposition little weak spots. The positioning for the general election in September 2002 began, Friedrich Merz had already placed himself in February 2001 as a candidate for the office of Chancellor in conversation. Thus, the discussion about the candidates questions - in the media, often referred to as "K-means question" - heralded. Angela Merkel's willingness to bid was known. It had in the tips of the party, however, have little support, as many favored the CDU prime minister and state chairman of the Bavarian Minister President and CSU Chairman Edmund Stoiber. In December 2001, was on the national party conference in Dresden, a decision has been avoided, that should be on 11 January 2002 at a meeting of the CDU Federal Executive Bureau and fall in Magdeburg. Merkel was the direct confrontation with Stoiber, however, out of the way: In the run she had visited him to "Wolfratshausen breakfast" and its renunciation in his favor, indicated. Angela Merkel's retreat was its own while also maintaining power, a significant electoral defeat against Stoiber would have been seen as vote of no confidence against their person and would not only have the "K-issue decision", but also given rise to a new debate over the party chairmanship.

At the first re-election on 11 November 2002 at the CDU Federal Party in Hanover, Merkel was reelected with 93.6 percent of the vote, 2004 in Dusseldorf later, it reached 88.4 percent, 2006 in Dresden, 93.06 percent and 94.83 percent, 2008 in Stuttgart.
Opposition leader (2002-2005)
2002

The election on 22 September 2002 ended in a tight re-election of the SPD-Green coalition government under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Joschka Fischer. Angela Merkel-Stoiber had loyally supported the unsuccessful candidacy. To Schroeder's election victory and its rapid response to the then Elbehochwasser had contributed, as is still considered important, however, its opposition to the Iraq war. The clear "no" of the incumbent government was a commitment Merkel called on George W. Bush's confrontational stance - from her then as "build-" to -.

Immediately after the lost election Angela Merkel claimed the CDU / CSU parliamentary group chairman of the Bundestag, the former Office of Friedrich Merz. She wanted to confront the Schröder government in parliament as opposition leader. Merz was not ready to give up his position and expressed its criticism of Merkel. On the crucial CDU Presidium meeting is said to have given the vote in favor Stoiber Merkel's the difference. The relationship between Merkel and Merz was already regarded as a pre-conflict situation of competition. On 11 and 12 November 2002, at the CDU party congress in Hanover, Germany, Angela Merkel was re-elected with 746 of 796 votes cast (for a total of 978 delegates) as chairman.
2003

The year 2003 brought the CDU and its chairman success in the state elections in Hesse and Lower Saxony. The-increasing presence in the Federal Council of the CDU Angela Merkel, finally, a possible Mitregieren out of the opposition. The CDU was with the Agenda 2010, the SPD-Green coalition government and agreed, after she had been able to prevail in the Conciliation Committee further calls for the legislative amendments in the Bundestag and Bundesrat. So she was especially in the formulation of the 1 January 2004 would be effective health care reform and the Fourth Law for Modern Services on the labor market (Hartz IV) involved. In the case of the Bundestag deputy Martin Hohmann, and sharply criticized his theses on the "Jewish perpetrator people" Merkel was less decisive, however. The first group to exclude a Union Member in the history of the German Parliament, in November 2003, took place only after long reflection and under public pressure.
2004

On 6 February 2004 came the politically ailing back, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as SPD chairman, was succeeded by Franz Muentefering. The same month, the CDU managed a clear victory in the election for the Hamburg Parliament. Angela Merkel traveled for three days in February to Turkey. There she stood up for the model of "privileged partnership" as an alternative to the objective of the Federal Government's full membership in the European Union.

In a speech of 20 November 2004 said Angela Merkel with the words "The multicultural society has failed," the domestic political situation in Germany with regard to the integration problem of the Muslim (mainly Turkish) population. In Angela Merkel reiterated the concept of the German leading culture in the debate, criticizing in particular the lack of inclusiveness of Muslims.

The end of the term of office of President Johannes Rau meant the renewal of the main formal political office in the Federal Republic of Germany. Wolfgang Schäuble had brought himself into the conversation early on as a candidate and was able to support within the CDU and CSU hope. Intraparty opponent, Angela Merkel, as Roland Koch and Friedrich Merz favorite Schauble, as Edmund Stoiber (CSU). Horst Köhler was considered Merkel's candidate, and his electoral success in the Federal Assembly on 23 May 2004 was generally seen as a further strengthening of their position of power.
Early 2005 Bundestag

The regional elections in North Rhine-Westphalia on 22 May 2005 brought a heavy election defeat of the SPD, which continued a series of Landtagswahlniederlagen the years 2003 and 2004. As a politico-media Befreiungsschlag announced half an hour after the polls have closed first seek SPD party leader Franz Muentefering, and shortly afterwards, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, it's an early election of the Bundestag for the fall of 2005.

On 30 May determined the Bureaux of CDU and CSU party in a joint meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel for the candidate of the CDU / CSU. Their role was controversial, marginalized, the intra-party opponents. Merkel's shadow cabinet was introduced in view of the desired coalition with the FDP as a "competence team". In particular, Paul Kirchhof and his "graveyard" model, and the CDU ideas on health insurance ( "capitation") were considered later as "difficult meetings" and partly responsible for an unsatisfactory search results.

In the general election on 18 September 2005 reached the CDU / CSU candidate Angela Merkel with the top 35.2 percent (2002: 38.5) before the SPD with 34.2 percent. For the Union fell well short of their forecasts, and could choose their destination, the absolute majority of parliamentary seats for the CDU / CSU and FDP did not achieve. Its own constituency 15 (Stralsund, Nordvorpommern and District Rügen) Angela Merkel won with 41.3 percent of the primary vote. In addition to the Union, the Social Democrats suffered significant loss of votes, so that the current governing coalition of SPD and Greens lost its parliamentary majority.

In a televised debate on election night, the so-called "elephant round claimed," Gerhard Schröder, despite the majority of red-green as lost surprisingly triggered the formation of a government for themselves - in a way that the intense discussion and which he himself later as "suboptimal" described. The following days were determined in the political Berlin from the question whether the SPD, deserved as the single largest group in parliament a party, or the CDU / CSU, as the largest parliamentary group, the Office of the Chancellor - in whatever kind of coalition government -.

On 20 September Angela Merkel was the first re-election after the election, meeting Unions Parliamentary Group in a secret ballot with 219 of 222 votes for the chairman. After the disappointing election results, this was an important vote of confidence and support for upcoming coalition talks. The public experienced in the 14 days up to a necessary by-election in constituency 160 (Dresden I) Angela Merkel and Edmund Stoiber's talks with Alliance 90/The Greens in order to explore a possible black-yellow-green, "Jamaica coalition" together with the FDP. Only after the decision in Dresden, began talks with the SPD to form a grand coalition. On 10 Published in October SPD, CDU and CSU, a common agreement that the proposed election of Angela Merkel the Chancellor of the 16th German Bundestag included. On 12 November, she presented five weeks after negotiations between the CDU / CSU coalition with the SPD in the contract.

On 22 November 2005 Angela Merkel was (with 397 of the 611 valid votes against: 202; Abstentions: 12) of the Members of the 16th German Bundestag to Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany elected. That was 51 votes less possess, as the coalition parties mandates. After seven male predecessors Angela Merkel is the first woman in the office of German Chancellor, the first "Chancellor". At the same time she was 51 years with the youngest incumbent. Also it is the first person from the former East Germany and the first scientist who holds this office.

Even before the legislature declined Merkel's long-time rival Edmund Stoiber surprise planned for him on the post of economics minister, by his own admission because of withdrawal from the party chairman Franz Müntefering's the SPD.

Confidence and in a key position as head of the Chancellery, Thomas de Maizière chose Angela Merkel, cousin of the last GDR Prime Minister Lothar de Maizière.

Zu Beginn der Legislaturperiode traten Merkel und ihr Kabinett weder außen- noch innenpolitisch in besonderem Maße in Erscheinung. Lediglich Merkels Minister sorgten für einige Schlagzeilen, die sich aber mehr auf Kompetenzfragen oder die langfristige Ausrichtung der Regierungsarbeit als auf konkrete Sachfragen bezogen.

Ende März 2006 legte Merkel ein Acht-Punkte-Programm für die zweite „Etappe“ der Legislaturperiode vor. Darin werden geplante Anstrengungen in den Bereichen Föderalismusreform, Bürokratieabbau, Forschung und Innovation, Energiepolitik, Haushalts- und Finanzpolitik, Familienpolitik, Arbeitsmarktpolitik und insbesondere Gesundheitsreform skizziert.

Ungeachtet des Fehlens einschneidender Maßnahmen stieß Merkels eher sachlicher Regierungsstil anfangs in der Bevölkerung, unter den Führungskräften der Wirtschaft und im Ausland überwiegend auf Zustimmung. Das Forbes Magazine stellte sie 2006, 2007 und erneut 2008 im Rahmen einer Liste als mächtigste Frau der Welt dar, und auch für die Time gehörte sie 2006 und 2007 zu den 100 Personen, die unsere Welt am meisten prägten.

On 27 November 2006 wurde sie auf dem Bundesparteitag der CDU mit 93 Prozent der Stimmen erneut zur Bundesvorsitzenden der Partei gewählt.

Merkel sorgte für einen kleineren außenpolitischen Eklat, als sie am 23. September 2007 den Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso im Berliner Bundeskanzleramt empfing. Das Treffen mit dem geistlichen Oberhaupt Tibets war von ihr als „privater Gedankenaustausch“ mit einem religiösen Führer bezeichnet worden und sollte nicht als politische Stellungnahme zu den Autonomiebestrebungen Tibets verstanden werden. Trotzdem zeigte sich die Volksrepublik China verstimmt und sagte mit dem Hinweis auf „technische Probleme“ mehrere offizielle Termine auf ministerieller Ebene ab. Merkels außenpolitischer Berater Christoph Heusgen konnte die Wogen wieder glätten, indem er dem chinesischen Botschafter Ma Canrong versicherte, dass Deutschland seine China-Politik nicht ändern werde und die territoriale Integrität Chinas außer Frage stehe.

Vertreten durch Angela Merkel und den Bundesaußenminister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hatte die Bundesrepublik Deutschland vom 1. Januar bis 30. Juni 2007 den Vorsitz im Rat der Europäischen Union inne. Der Vorsitz wurde turnusmäßig im Rahmen der Dreier-Präsidentschaft mit Portugal und Slowenien wahrgenommen.

Als wesentliche Bestandteile der politischen Agenda nannte Merkel unter anderem den Europäischen Verfassungsvertrag, die „Klima- und Energiepolitik“, die „Vertiefung der transatlantischen Wirtschaftspartnerschaft“ und eine „Nachbarschaftspolitik für die Schwarzmeerregion und Zentralasien“.

Merkel drängte darauf, dass der Bezug auf Gott und den christlichen Glauben in der EU-Verfassung verankert wird. Letztlich konnte sich diese Forderung, die unter anderem auch aus Polen, Irland und Italien erhoben wurde, nicht durchsetzen – im Vertrag von Lissabon wird nur auf das „kulturelle, religiöse und humanistische Erbe Europas“ Bezug genommen.

Im Herbst 2008 wurde – u.a. durch die Insolvenz zahlreicher großer Finanzinstitute – das historische Ausmaß der sich ab 2007 abzeichnenden Finanzkrise deutlich. Die IKB, einige deutsche Landesbanken und auch private Institute mussten Abschreibungen in erheblicher Höhe vornehmen. Der Deutsche Bundestag reagierte im August zunächst mit dem Risikobegrenzungsgesetz, die BaFin untersagte bestimmte Leerverkäufe.

On 8 Oktober 2008 gab die Regierung Merkel eine Garantieerklärung für die Spareinlagen in Deutschland ab. Diese Garantie gilt für jedes Institut und für jeden Sparer eines Institutes, das Teil der deutschen Einlagensicherung ist. Zuvor hatte Merkel noch die irische Regierung wegen einer eigenen Staatsgarantie scharf kritisiert, die sich allerdings allein auf einheimische Banken bezog. Merkels Vorgehen wurde von anderen europäischen Finanzministern als nationaler Alleingang kritisiert, von der EU-Kommission jedoch als nicht wettbewerbsverzerrend und damit unproblematisch eingestuft.
Bundestag 2009

On 27 September 2009 fand die Wahl zum 17. Deutschen Bundestag statt. Die Unionsparteien und die FDP erreichten dabei zusammen die notwendige Mehrheit für die von beiden Seiten angestrebte Bildung einer schwarz-gelben Koalition. Allerdings verloren beide Unionsparteien Stimmen und erreichten ihr jeweils schlechtestes Ergebnis nach der ersten Bundestagswahl 1949. Die Verluste waren aber nicht so massiv wie beim Koalitionspartner SPD, die ihr schlechtestes Bundestagswahlergebnis überhaupt erzielte. Merkel selbst siegte im Wahlkreis 15 (Stralsund-Nordvorpommern- Rügen) mit 49,3 % der Erststimmen und erreichte damit einen Zuwachs von 8 Prozentpunkten gegenüber der vorangegangenen Bundestagswahl.

Who is it?