Angela Dorothea Merkel is now known to many people and is a very controversial person when it comes to international politics. Like any public person, Mrs. Merkel has those who admire her, and those who can’t stand her.

Be that as it may, modern " The Iron Lady"is one of the most influential women of international importance. As soon as she accepted the post of Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel was able to ensure that the development of the country's politics, both domestic and foreign, finally moved forward.

Watching this world-famous woman, not only Germans, but also people from other countries, are sometimes interested in what her actual height, weight, and age are. How old is Angela Merkel is one of the most popular queries regarding Mrs. Merkel.

But first things first. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is relatively short at 165 centimeters and weighs 65 kilograms. She is 63 years old.

Looking at photos of Angela Merkel in her youth and now, you can understand that she had a fairly attractive appearance.

Biography of Angela Merkel

The future “iron lady” was born on July 17, 1954. The parents named their daughter after both of her grandmothers. His father, Horst Kasner, was a churchman, and his mother, Gerlinda Kasner, was a housewife. Angela has younger brother and sister – Marcus and Irena.

The baby was very inquisitive and restless, and showed a technical mindset. At school she studied “excellently”. As a child, the future politician was shy by nature and hardly interacted with her peers, preferring the company of books. The girl showed a special love for mathematics and the Russian language, for which she received the highest score in her final exams.

In Leipzig, Angela Merkel entered the University. Marx, to the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry. Interestingly, she already possessed own views on the political situation in the country, did not participate in the opposition and began to think about getting involved in social and political activities. Perhaps, the biography of Angela Merkel as a future famous politician begins around this period.

Mrs. Merkel also graduated from the university with an exceptional high scores. Soon after, she found a job at the Central Institute, in the department chemical theory and analysts. The girl began to take part in social and political activities and became a member of the Union of Free German Youth.

In 1990, she managed to earn the position of ministerial adviser in one of the Departments of the Federal Republic of Germany; she was a representative of the Bundestag, the head of the German Christian Democratic Union. And finally, in 2005, she became Chancellor of Germany, replacing Gerhard Schröder.

It is interesting that Mrs. Merkel is loyal to most states, but does not hesitate to express hostility towards the Russian Federation.

Personal life of Angela Merkel

It is worth noting that Angela Merkel’s personal life was rather gray and boring. In her youth, she was not at all ugly, and, as we see, she was not lacking in intelligence either. Most likely she was not popular with men because of her shyness.

The chancellor was married twice, but at some point, a couple of years after she took such a high post, curious notes began to appear in the German press. In fact, rumors began to circulate that Merkel was having an affair with a certain foreigner. The paparazzi managed to catch the couple several times. Merkel was married at the time.

Angela Merkel's family

Angela Merkel's family are correct and religious people. Although not without “skeletons in the closet”.

For example, her father was a mysterious man. There were rumors that he served Hitler during World War II. The man was supposedly Polish, but shortly before the war he changed his surname to a German one. He was a priest, held an important position in the Lutheran Church, and was the head of the Sunday school.

Angela's mother was a teacher of English and Latin by profession. After the war, she was not hired and became a housewife, but was able to educate her children independently during the post-war period, when they could not attend kindergarten and school.

Merkel's brother currently lives in Darmstadt and works as a teacher at an institute in Frankfurt.

And Irena - younger sister– received the profession of a psychotherapist. Angela loves her very much, the sisters have always been best friends.

Children of Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel's children are something a woman will never have. Even when she first got married, she found out that she would not be able to give birth. Her husband just then began to wish for a child, but when he realized that this would not happen, he left his young wife.

For a long time, Angela underwent treatment in the best hospitals in eastern Germany, but this did not give any result. Merkel later learned that new wife his ex also turned out to be infertile, but they had a baby thanks to a surrogate mother. This angered Angela so much that when she became chancellor, she banned surrogacy in the country.

Angela Merkel's ex-husband - Ulrich Merkel

Angela Merkel's ex-husband, Ulrich Merkel, was in the past a classmate of the future “Iron Lady”. They met while studying, and entered into an official marriage quite a long time later. a short time, because back then this was considered quite normal.

After graduation, the young couple moved to live in Berlin for the reason that they did not find work in Leipzig. So, Ulrich became an employee of the Central Institute. Their marriage lasted five years and failed due to the inability to produce heirs.

Angela Merkel's husband - Joachim Sauer

What is noteworthy is that Angela Merkel’s husband, Joachim Sauer, also turned out to be a talented scientist in the field of chemistry. In addition, he is well versed in political issues and often gives advice to his wife.

They got married in 1998, and there was a lot of gossip about this event in the yellow press. Meanwhile, the spouses live happily, amicably and love each other. As for Joachim, he is not at all public. And so much so that he didn’t even come to Angela’s inauguration ceremony.

Angela Merkel in her youth on the beach

About four years ago, a photograph began to circulate online showing Angela Merkel in her youth on the beach. This photo was taken back in 1972, when the current “Iron Lady” was 26 years old.

It should be noted that in those years there was a fashion for nudist beaches, and most people were not at all embarrassed to be naked in front of strangers on vacation. Therefore, if you try, it will be quite possible to find a picture of Angela Merkel naked.

Currently, in more modern photographs on beaches or near bodies of water, Angela appears exclusively in one-piece swimsuits. Apparently, she began to feel ashamed of her own body.

Instagram and Wikipedia Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel's Instagram and Wikipedia undoubtedly exist. For example, in the Internet encyclopedia you can read a lot of truthful information concerning not only the biography of the chancellor, but also her personal life and the path to political heights. The information contained there can definitely be trusted.

Merkel created her Instagram profile in the summer of 2015. Almost immediately, the page was attacked by Russian hackers and trolls. They mocked me in every possible way, leaving dislikes and unpleasant comments. The essence of which Angela, of course, understands, since she knows Russian.

He is leading in the elections to the Bundestag (parliament) with 33.8% of the vote, ahead of the Social Democratic Party of the SPD of Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier by more than 10 percentage points, according to the website of the German Federal Election Committee.

Based on the results of the parliamentary elections, it will become known who will head the government and take the post of chancellor.

Biography

Angela Dorothea Merkel (nee Kasner) was born on July 17, 1954 in Hamburg in the family of a pastor. At the Angela School, Dorothea was a member of pioneer organization named after Ernst Thälmann and the Union of Free German Youth and, while still a schoolgirl, decided to study physics.

In 1973, Angela Kasner moved to Leipzig to study at the local university. It is during these student years she met her future husband, student Ulrich Merkel, who also studied physics. On September 3, 1977, they got married.

In 1978, Merkel defended thesis, and in 1981 she divorced her husband. At the Central Institute physical chemistry at the Academy of Sciences of the GDR in Berlin, where Merkel, a certified physicist, moved to work, in 1984 she met her future second husband Joachim Sauer, whom she married in 1998. In 1986, the future chancellor defended her PhD thesis in physics.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Merkel began working for the new Democratic Breakthrough party, initially as temporary EVM administrator. Then she received the position of, in fact, the party's press secretary. After the unsuccessful elections to the People's Chamber for the Democratic Breakthrough in March 1990, the party's extraordinary congress decided by a majority vote to join the West German Christian Democratic Union of the CDU. Merkel was one of the three delegates from the Democratic Breakthrough at the CDU unification congress in Hamburg.

After that political career Merkel began to develop rapidly. First, in 1990, she received the position of deputy government press secretary, and in the same year she became a member of the Bundestag. From 1991 to 1998, Merkel served as deputy chairman of the CDU, during which time she was minister of women and youth affairs, then minister environment, since 1998 - general secretary CDU, and since 2000 - chairman of the party.

In the early elections to the Bundestag on September 18, 2005, the CDU/CSU bloc, led by its number one Angela Merkel, received 35.2% of the votes against 34.2% cast for the main competitor, the Social Democratic Party of the SPD of then Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. As a result, a coalition government of the CDU/CSU and the SPD was formed, and on November 22, Merkel was elected to the post of Federal Chancellor, becoming both the first female chancellor and the youngest chancellor (she was 51 years old at the time of her election).

Interesting Facts

The German press reports Interesting Facts about the chancellor. For breakfast, instead of the usual coffee for many, the most influential woman in the world drinks Mint tea, the Chancellor's official car is an Audi, and his personal car is a Volkswagen Golf.

Merkel very rarely wears dresses and skirts; mostly the chancellor's usual attire is a trouser suit. As a rule, these suits - black trousers combined with a blazer with three or four buttons or buttons - are made by the Hamburg designer Bettina Schönbach.

Merkel uses SMS to send messages to colleagues, and it was she who introduced this method of communication between the highest government officials in Germany. Except mobile phone, the chancellor's handbag must include a pencil with a notepad, a powder compact and glasses - Merkel is slightly myopic.

While working as Youth Minister, Merkel smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, but then quit. The Chancellor herself goes grocery shopping to a store located near her home, is afraid of dogs and does not wear perfume. On Merkel's desk is an image of the Russian Empress, German by birth, Catherine the Great.

Merkel is not a big fan of jewelry and does not wear rings, bracelets or earrings. His zodiac sign is Cancer, and he prefers the classics when it comes to music, especially the operas of Richard Wagner. From foreign languages Merkel speaks English and Russian.

For several years in a row, the Chancellor has topped the list of the hundred most influential women in the world according to Forbes magazine.

According to the German Constitution, the same person can serve as Federal Chancellor for an unlimited number of terms. At the same time, Germany is not an exception: among EU countries, only France has a rule according to which the prime minister is allowed to remain in power for no more than eight years in a row. In parliamentary republics, which includes the Federal Republic of Germany, the head of government - the federal chancellor or prime minister - is not elected by direct vote of ordinary voters: the parliament votes for him. And voters, accordingly, can influence the choice of deputies by supporting one or another party in parliamentary elections.

Professor at the University of Bonn, political scientist Frank Decker does not see a problem in the absence of appropriate restrictions in Germany: “In parliamentary systems, the issue is somewhat resolved by itself, so there is no need for a time frame.” One fine day, the head of government “in any case will not be re-elected for another term,” the expert notes. In addition, parliament can pass a vote of no confidence in the head of government. This, for example, happened in 1982, when the then Chancellor of Germany, leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), Helmut Schmidt, lost his post. And his successor, chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Helmut Kohl, lost his post as chancellor after losing the elections in 1998.

A long term of government is not a democratic deficit

In some European countries heads of government change quite often: for example, in Italy, since the end of World War II, about 20 prime ministers have changed, in Great Britain - 15. The fact that Helmut Kohl remained in office for 16 years, and Angela Merkel, if elected for a fourth term, may repeating his achievement is rather an exception for Europe.

A leader of a state who does not want to let go of the reins of power: is this phenomenon consistent with the basic principles of democracy? “At first glance, such a question seems logical,” explains political scientist Frank Decker. “Helmut Kohl gave a good answer.”

Saying that he could soon equal Otto von Bismarck's tenure as chancellor, Kohl said that, unlike Bismarck, he had always been elected democratically. The heads of government of Germany and other parliamentary republics remained in office for several terms in a row only because voters supported them each time in the elections, the expert summarizes.

USA: maximum two terms

In turn, in presidential republics(for example, in the USA) such a situation cannot arise. In these cases, the president is usually directly elected, and is usually prohibited by law from serving more than two consecutive terms in office.

Context

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Putin will try to stop Merkel

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Merkel will run again

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Trump and Merkel's actions

Il Giornale 11/20/2016 In the USA, in particular, this restriction is eight years. However, this is largely the result of a coincidence, notes Frank Decker: “The first American president, George Washington, at the end of his second term, himself declared: I’ve had enough. His example was followed by all his successors in this post.”

During World War II, Franklin Roosevelt broke this tradition by deciding to run for a third and then a fourth term in 1940. Shortly thereafter, an amendment was made to the US Constitution, according to which the president could be in power for no more than eight consecutive years.

Some German experts are in favor of introducing a similar rule in Germany. Political scientist Frank-Rudolf Korte believes that Merkel should refuse to run for a fourth term and that a German citizen should be prohibited from serving more than two consecutive terms as chancellor.

The art of leaving on time

In turn, Frank Decker points out that, despite his theoretically unlimited possibilities, every politician must understand that someday he will still have to leave: “At some point, a particular person gets boring with voters.”

If in German society there were this moment this kind of mood, then ruling party They would have reacted to them with lightning speed, the expert believes: “If the CDU noticed, for example, that Mrs. Merkel had done something stupid, or they could no longer win elections with her, then she would quickly leave the game. In this case, she would have been removed from power by her own comrades.”

At the same time, the political scientist is confident that this will not happen in the case of Angela Merkel: “She will probably think about making way for a successor from her own party in the middle of her term of office, that is, in 2019.” Merkel would then become the first German chancellor to voluntarily resign. However, to do this, she must first win the fourth consecutive election to the Bundestag as a candidate for the post of chancellor in the fall of 2017.

Angela Dorothea Merkel (Kasner) - woman holding the position of Chancellor of Germany, widely known political figure Europe. Angela became the first woman to hold the position of Chancellor of Germany (appointed in 2005).

Merkel does not look like modern European businesswomen with trim figures and easy gaits. She does not smile often and does not have outstanding speaking abilities. But it was her inconspicuous appearance that helped the woman achieve success in life. Many men underestimated her, failing to consider her as a serious rival in a timely manner. Angela never raises her voice or quarrels. She knows how to turn any unfavorable situation to her advantage. Today she leads one of the largest and economically developed countries Europe. The biography and family of Angela Merkel will be discussed further.

Childhood and family

As the biography of Angela Merkel testifies (photo in the article), she was born on July 17, 1954 in Hamburg. Her father Horst Kasner was a pastor, and her mother Gerlinde taught English and Latin at school.

The woman’s father had Polish roots, so on the eve of the Nazi Party coming to power in Germany, he chose to change his own surname Kazmierczak to the more euphonious Kasner.

Immediately after the girl's birth, the family was forced to move to East Germany, where her father was appointed pastor of the Lutheran Church. Three years later there was another move due to a new assignment in Templin.

Angela has a brother and sister (Marcus and Irena).

At the age of 7, the girl is sent to school. During her studies, Angela did not stand out among her peers. The girl studied well, was a member of the pioneer detachment, and among the subjects studied at school, she gave preference to mathematics and languages.

Education and professional activities

After graduating from school, Angela entered the University of Leipzig at the Faculty of Physics, and in 1978 she defended her thesis with honors. During her studies she was a member of the Union of Free German Youth. After completing his studies, he and his husband moved to the capital of Germany, where he got a job at the Institute of Chemistry.

Eight years after graduating from university, the woman defended her dissertation. Having become a doctor of natural sciences, she goes to work in the analytical chemistry department. During this period, Merkel was already actively involved in political life.

Political activity

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, new parties began to emerge, and the East German Academy of Sciences ceased to exist. Angela finds a job with a political party called Democratic Breakthrough. She performs the functions of a computer administrator. A little later, she is given the task of developing political leaflets, and literally a few months later she becomes press secretary.

In 1990, elections to the New Chamber took place, in which the party was defeated. But thanks to the successful activities of another party in the election bloc, the woman becomes press secretary. Soon the need for the unification of Germany arose; Angela participates in almost all negotiations regarding this issue.

December 1990 was marked by elections to the Bundestag. That is why, back in October of this year, the Democratic Breakthrough party united with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU).

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Merkel was offered a job at the Federal Office of Press and Information of the reunified Germany.

Member of the Bundestag

During the first elections to the Bundestag, Merkel received 48.5% of the votes, for which she was given a deputy mandate. After meeting and communicating with Helmut Kohl, the woman was invited to work in the department of the Federal Chancellor, located in Bonn. Since 1991, she began to head the federal department dealing with women and youth issues. Fast promotion career ladder made possible thanks to assistance from the Federal Chancellor.

Since December 1991, Angela Merkel, whose biography and personal life was the subject of our review, has become deputy chairman of the CDU. In 1993 she headed the CDU in Mecklenburg.

December 1994 was marked by new elections to the Bundestag, as a result of which Merkel became Minister for Security external environment. But the next elections, which took place in 1998, became a complete failure for the party. Schäuble became the chairman of the CDU, and Merkel took the post of general secretary. In 1999, they were presented to the public scandalous story, related to the illegal financing of the union, so already in 2000 Schäuble had to vacate his post.

Chairman of the CDU

After Schäuble's departure, the party remains without leadership for some time. Merkel occupies the key position, so at the next party congress Angela is officially elected chairman.

The next elections do not bring the party major victories. Since the next elections to the Bundestag are due to take place in the autumn of 2002, between political parties a fierce struggle begins.

Merkel was ready to take the post of Federal Chancellor, but she did not enjoy much support from the party leadership. Many preferred to see Edmund Stoiber, who was a representative of the CSU (Christian Social Union), in this post. Merkel abandoned her candidacy for the post in favor of Stoiber, which was necessary to maintain her power.

Leader of the Opposition

In 2002, Stoiber was defeated in the elections, and Merkel decided to take the place of Friedrich Merz, becoming the head of the CDU/CSU faction. She succeeds, and the success of the party allows her to take a direct part in governing the country, even despite being in the opposition.

The year 2004 was marked by elections to the Hamburg parliament, where the CDU party won a landslide victory. Angela is going on a 3-day friendly visit to Turkey.

In 2005, early elections to the Bundestag were held, where Angela became a candidate for the post of Federal Chancellor. In these elections, the bloc received only 35.2% of the votes, which did not allow them to create a parliamentary majority in the Bundestag.

Federal Chancellor

As the biography of Angela Merkel testifies (personal life, children will be discussed further), in September 2005 she became the chairman of the CDU/CSU faction. Negotiations were started with the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) to create a coalition. An agreement was signed in October, and a coalition agreement was signed in early November. Angela Merkel took the post of Federal Chancellor of Germany. German women perceived her success as a personal victory.

Merkel is hardworking and ambitious, and her inconspicuous appearance has proven to be a good disguise from her competitors. In March 2018, she was elected to the post of Chancellor of Germany for the fourth time.

At the beginning of governing the country, Merkel does not take decisive action, but receives the support of the population.

Angela presided over European Union in 2007 from Germany. Its main priority was the adoption of the EU Constitution.

Foreign policy

On the eve of the military conflict in Iraq, Merkel expresses support for the United States. This drew criticism from German government circles. Before taking the post of Chancellor, Angela said that Turkey’s full membership in the EU was impossible. Since the 2005 elections, she has remained silent on this issue. Merkel spoke with restraint about Germany's participation in resolving the Lebanese-Israeli conflict.

In his foreign policy it unconditionally supports European values ​​and treats the United States as a strategic partner. Before being elected chancellor, she criticized Schröder for his friendship with the Russian president. After the elections, German-Russian relations did not undergo major changes. She supported sanctions against Russia, which led to retaliatory actions. As a result, there was a drop in trade turnover between the countries.

Economic and social policy

From the very beginning of her career, Merkel achieved popularity thanks to a balanced foreign policy and internal reforms. After she came to power, the economy experienced positive changes: reform of the federal system, reduction of unemployment.

During the financial crisis of 2008-2009, the government provided state support the country's economy, which allowed Germany to emerge from recession in August 2009. In 2010, due to the crisis in Greece, new difficulties arose, and financial support was provided to this country.

The migration crisis in 2015 became a complex issue. Merkel said immigrants should try harder to fit into German society. In Potsdam in 2010, she said that multiculturalism had failed in Germany.

After the accident at the Japanese nuclear power plant, a law was passed, following which Germany must refrain from using nuclear energy until 2022.

Angela Merkel: biography, personal life, husband, children

Angela's first husband was Ulrich Merkel, whom she met while studying. They got married in 1977, but after five years the couple broke up. A year later, an official divorce followed. She did not change her husband's last name. Angela Merkel's second choice was Joachim Sauer. Before their official marriage, they dated for 4 years and legalized their relationship in 1998. Does Angela Merkel have children? The biography and personal life of a woman is always under close attention of the press. It is known that she has no children. Angela said that she did not exclude the possibility of having a child, but it did not work out. She managed to establish good relations with the children of her second husband.

For more than 12 years, Angela has been leadership position in Germany. Before acceptance important decision Merkel carefully considers all the details. The secret of her success lies in external simplicity and amazing inner strength. She is an outstanding European politician.

Name: Angela Merkel

Age: 63 years old

Place of Birth: Hamburg, Germany

Height: 173 cm

Weight: 65 kg

Activity: Chancellor of Germany

Family status: Married

Angela Merkel - biography

On March 14, 2018, Angela Merkel again became Chancellor of Germany. This will be her fourth term, at the end of which Frau Merkel will have served as chancellor for 16 years. Only the “iron” Bismarck had more - 19 years.

One day during a physical education lesson, the teacher asked the children to jump from a tower into a pool. Angela could not make up her mind for a long time, approached the edge and retreated again. Finally, when the bell rang, she took a deep breath and jumped. Having grown older, Angela does not change herself: before doing anything, she first evaluates the chances.

Average height, average figure, average appearance - the German Chancellor has never differed from ordinary citizens. Looking at her, any German woman can say: “She is no better than me. But how much she managed to achieve!” They say this was the reason for her popularity. For many years, Merkel has not changed at all: a jacket with three buttons, trousers, a modest haircut.

Childhood, family

The Chancellor has Polish roots. She was born in 1954 in Hamburg, West Germany, and two months later the family moved to the GDR. There, in the city of Perleberg, the priest father received a parish.

Despite the fact that Angela was the daughter of a clergyman, she joined the pioneers, and then the German “Komsomol” - the Union of Free German Youth. This did not stop the girl from starting a small “business”. Buying blueberries at the store for 2 marks, Angela handed over the berries to the collection point for 4 marks. In the GDR, the Association for the Trade of Vegetables and Fruits subsidized the purchase of berries from the population, and young people made money from it.

Studying was easy for Angela. She especially excelled in physics and the Russian language. She won the GDR Olympics in Russian three times and, as the winner, went to Moscow. While already studying at the University of Leipzig, she visited the USSR more than once under the student exchange program.

Angela Merkel - biography of personal life

It was on the trip that she met physics student Ulrich Merkel. The young people began dating, and in September 1977 they got married. The chancellor would later say about that marriage: I approached marriage without the necessary seriousness. I was deceived." True, it took her 4 years to understand this.

And in 1984, an employee of the Institute of Physical Chemistry met 36-year-old chemist Joachim Sauer. Their relationship could not be called passionate. Joachim and Angela got married only 14 years later - in 1998.

Policy

Merkel entered politics in the late 1980s. The wind of change blowing from the east destroyed the Berlin Wall and united Germany. Starting in 1989 as a computer operator in the Democratic Breakthrough Party of the GDR, a year later Angela met German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. It was he who opened her to the world of big politics. In turn, Kohl’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party needed fresh faces - representatives of the eastern lands.

Angela was perfect: smart, efficient, unarrogant. Merkel traveled to the most remote corners and met with voters. She communicated with Baltic fishermen in pubs, with Ruhr workers she could talk at the entrance, with housewives - in women's clubs. Simplicity and intelligence captivated people, and they willingly voted for her.

As a result, Merkel became a member of the Bundestag, and then Kohl entrusted her with the post of Minister of Women and Youth Affairs and Secretary of the CDU. She became his favorite. Journalists dubbed Merkel “Kolya’s girl.” But very soon Angela faced a difficult choice - honesty or devotion. In 1998, Gerhard Schröder took over as chancellor, and Kohl remained out of work.

Articles appeared in the press about the sponsorship of the CDU by German oligarchs, which affected the party’s reputation. Helmut himself refused to name the sponsors and resigned. And Merkel, who had already become the second person in the party, wrote an article criticizing Kohl and calling for him to disassociate himself from the “old guard.”

It was then that the competitors realized that they had underestimated this “girl”. Despite the lack of bright performances and PR campaigns, Angela walked to the top with iron tenacity. Unlike many politicians, she was not involved either in connections with the Stasi intelligence service or in accepting money from oligarchs. Moreover, realizing that the party would not win the elections in 2002, it gave way to fellow party member Edmund Stoiber as candidate for chancellor. He lost the elections, and then handed over the post of party chairman to Frau Merkel.

Her finest hour came on November 22, 2005, when the CDU won and elected its chairman as the head of Germany. Angela Merkel became the youngest chancellor (51 years old) and the first woman to hold this post. The Germans took her victory as personal, because she proved: neither lack of beauty nor age is an obstacle to becoming the main person in the country.

Having taken the top post, Merkel became the object of everyone's attention. Now people are wondering how their chancellor lives outside of work. After all, her husband Joachim was not even present at the inauguration. The latter explained this by his reluctance to “distract attention with his person.”

Even after becoming chancellor, Angela remained to live with her husband in a rented apartment opposite the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Except that a police post has been added at the entrance. It is to this apartment that Merkel returns every evening to cook something delicious for Joachim. The Chancellor's signature dish is potato soup and steak with olives.

“I’d rather cancel three meetings than risk my relationship,” the chancellor once admitted. - They give me a feeling of confidence. I don't need to say anything to him. We can just be silent together.” On rare weekends, the family goes to a country residence, where Angela grows strawberries and potatoes.

When surrounded by loved ones, Angela can relax a little. Her talents include parodies of partners: George Bush, Nicolas Sarkozy, Vladimir Putin. They say she's doing well. Moreover, Putin “makes” Angela in Russian. And her passion is opera. Every year she goes with Joachim to the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth.

The Chancellor's official car is a democratic Audi A8. In personal use, the “people's” Volkswagen. No other wealth has been noticed for Merkel. Her salary is 20 thousand euros per month, of which she pays taxes and insurance. Large gifts and sponsorship money are excluded.

Germans have different attitudes towards the chancellor, but Merkel's election for a fourth term showed that she still has more supporters. She is no stranger to politics and has long had no reverence for foreign leaders. However, there is one exception. On the Chancellor's desk is a portrait of Princess Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst. She went down in history as Russian empress Catherine the Great.