Angela Merkel, Europe's 'anchor of stability in stormy times', prepares to step down

Merkel is set to become the first German chancellor to leave power when she chooses Berlin: Angela Merkel will leave office as one of modern Germany’s longest-serving leaders and a global diplomatic heavyweight, with a legacy defined by her management of a succession of crises that shook a fragile Europe rather than any grand visions for her own country. In 16 years at the helm of Europe’s biggest economy, Merkel did end military conscription, set Germany on course for a future without nuclear and fossil-fueled power, enable the legalisation of same-sex marriage, introduce a national minimum wage and benefits encouraging fathers to look after young children, among other things. Merkel was often referred to as the climate chancellor in her early years, but also has drawn criticism for moving too slowly; her government this year moved forward the date for reducing German greenhouse gas emissions to net zero to 2045, after the country’s top court ruled that previous plans place too much of the burden on young people. Merkel praised her government’s drive to improve Germany’s public finances, which enabled it to stop running up new debt from 2014 until the coronavirus pandemic pushed it into huge rescue packages.