Tuesday, December 7th, 2021
She is ready for advice
Merkel promises not to go completely
The 16-year-old era of Angela Merkel as Chancellor ends on Wednesday. The solemn farewell to the Union colleagues has been postponed because of the pandemic – with a video switch, she assures that she will also be ready for advice in the future. There is one last tip – and details about your move.
The outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel has said goodbye to the Union parliamentary group after more than 30 years in the Bundestag. You will not disappear, but move into “Margot Honecker’s office” in the street Unter den Linden – where Helmut Kohl’s office as former chancellor was, Merkel reported after information from participants in a video switch of the Union parliamentary group to which she was connected. The well-known picture of Konrad Adenauer has already moved out of her office. The wife of the then GDR head of state and party leader Erich Honecker had resided in the GDR Unter den Linden.
Merkel, who had been a member of the Bundestag since 1990, was quoted as saying: “I did not make up the crises and brought them with me to the parliamentary group.” The crises would remain “if I am no longer Chancellor”. The CDU must continue to take care of the major future tasks such as climate protection. She will be available for questions, but will not give advice publicly. “Be wise,” said Merkel with an optimistic view of the opposition work on the CDU and CSU MPs. She is happy when you can see each other in spring and celebrate the farewell.
In addition to the Adenauer picture, a “lady” chess piece has already moved from her office in the Chancellery to the “Honecker office”, Merkel reported on. Merkel had large wooden chess pieces in her chancellor’s office – they were gifts from the Association of Forest Owners who brought a new piece with them every year, she said. The other chess pieces would be put into storage.
Union faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus had publicly recognized Merkel for her 16 years as head of government before the meeting. Merkel “shaped an era. She is in line with Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl,” he said. It was the Chancellor’s last official parliamentary group meeting – but not the farewell. That will be made up for in the spring if you don’t have to wear masks because of the corona pandemic, as is now the case. Merkel has shaped a style that is highly recognized worldwide, which was not designed to ensure that there are winners and losers, but rather that both sides can go straight out of the negotiations, said Brinkhaus. This connection has been good for the world and especially Europe in the past 16 years.
Braun speaks of Merkel’s “greatest weakness” – pasta
Brinkhaus also said goodbye to the CDU Minister for Economic Affairs, Peter Altmaier. Although he has been criticized in one place or another, he has achieved incredible things in many functions and especially as head of the Chancellery. The Saarlander was an incredibly popular and collegial colleague. Altmaier had given up his mandate in favor of a younger member of parliament.
The start of the traffic light government made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP this Wednesday is a new beginning, said Brinkhaus. “We sincerely wish the new federal government all the best. We wish that it is successful and good for the country.” It’s about politics being good for the country, not who’s doing it. The Union faction will critically accompany the government, but will not look for a fly in the ointment.
Meanwhile, shortly before Olaf Scholz was sworn in, Chancellery Minister Helge Braun betrayed Merkel’s “greatest weakness”, namely spaghetti Bolognese. This connects him with the Chancellor, Braun told the news portal t-online. “We both like spaghetti very much.” Merkel does not have any really big weaknesses. Otherwise, according to Braun, she would not have been able to “lead the country through all the crises so successfully for 16 years”.