Wednesday, December 8th, 2021
“Early start” with Altmaier
“Merkel will keep a place in people’s hearts”
Peter Altmaier is one of Angela Merkel’s closest confidants. In the “early start”, the Minister of Economic Affairs found warm words for the long-term chancellor and placed her in the ranks of the great chancellors. When it comes to Corona, however, his judgment is more nuanced.
At the end of her term of office, the outgoing Federal Minister of Economics, Peter Altmaier, honored Chancellor Merkel as a great politician in German history. There are few chancellors who have stood out in German history, including Adenauer, Brandt and Kohl, so Altmaier in the ntv “Frühstart”. “I think Angela Merkel has what it takes to get a prominent place in this series.” Not only was she the first woman in office, but she also led the country through an unusually difficult era. “She made sure that society stayed together.” There is much less tendency to divide than in other European countries. “All of this will help ensure that she will hold a place in people’s memories and hearts.”
Merkel had ensured that after the reforms under Gerhard Schröder, Germany was given a new way of dealing with itself as a matter of course. That was her greatest achievement, said Altmaier. “We were proud of what we had achieved without being arrogant.” Together with other states, she made stability possible. “Angela Merkel made sure that we survived the international crises in such a way that Germany’s prosperity and social security were not endangered.”
Altmaier defended Merkel against the accusation that she hesitated too long in many crises. “In the twenty years that I was allowed to accompany her, I thought it was right that she did not make any hasty decisions.” During the refugee crisis in 2015, for example, it was good not to say in advance that anyone could come who wanted. He also considers the later decision to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe to be correct, according to Altmaier.
“Climate crisis cannot be postponed”
The Chancellor’s Corona balance sheet sees her party friend with mixed feelings. In the first year of the crisis, Germany was ahead of many countries in fighting pandemics. “That is very much thanks to Angela Merkel.” From autumn 2020, however, the country got a little tired and it took a long time for the federal government, prime minister and Bundestag to reach a consensus. “From today’s perspective, sometimes too long.” Even a Federal Chancellor is not above the constitution. You can only implement what has been decided by parliament and the federal states. “In the end, she managed to get us to take these decisions.”
Altmaier called on the new federal government under Olaf Scholz to move quickly into legislation. Much was recently left off at the request of the traffic light government. “The climate crisis, the corona pandemic, none of this can be postponed.” He’s keeping his fingers crossed for his successor Robert Habeck and the new Chancellor Scholz. He will certainly also differ from Angela Merkel. “Olaf Scholz will define his own new style.”
Regarding Angela Merkel’s future role, Altmaier said: “I am convinced we will see her again. Perhaps in places and on occasions where we do not expect it to be.” Hopefully Merkel will use the opportunity to do things for which she has not had time in the past thirty years. However, she made it clear that her active political career was over. In doing so, she expressed great respect for the office of Chancellor. In addition, she has a right to sort herself out and think after her long time in top positions.