Most Germans will not miss Angela Merkel in the role of chancellor, a position she has served in since 2005, according to a poll conducted by the Civey Institute and published by the Augsburger Allgemeine the day before parliamentary elections,
When asked if they would miss Merkel in the chancellery, 38 percent said “certainly not” and 14 percent “rather not”, a total of 52 percent. In contrast, 38 percent of respondents think that the first woman at the head of the German government will be missed, with 14 percent saying “rather” and 24 percent “for sure”. Ten percent of respondents are unsure.
Supporters of the CDU/CSU will miss Merkel the most
According to a survey, supporters of the left-moderate CDU/CSU coalition will miss Merkel the most, as she led the government for the Union for 16 years. A total of 63 percent of survey participants expressed regret over her departure. The chancellor has long been the least popular among voters of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which was also reflected in the current survey. Only two percent of them will miss her after retirement.
During a recent visit to the United States, when asked what she would do when she left office, Merkel said she would take a break first and think about what she was really interested in. In the last 16 years, according to her, she had very little time for that.
“Then I’ll probably try to read something, then my eyes will close because I’ll be tired, then I’ll sleep a little, and then I’ll see,” said the chancellor.
The date of retirement remains unclear
However, it is not at all clear when Merkel will be able to retire politically. Due to the close result of Sunday’s elections, post-election negotiations can take some time. This means that Merkel might rule Germany until as late as Christmas.
If she leads the government until Dec. 17, she will become the longest-serving German chancellor in the country’s postwar history. This record is currently held by Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who headed the federal government from 1982 to 1998, and oversaw the reunification of Germany following the end of communism.
Title image: Chancellor Angela Merkel gets a traditional gingerbread reading “Thanks CDU” beside Governor Armin Laschet, top candidate for the upcoming election, left, at the final election campaign event of the Christian Democratic Party, CDU, ahead of the German general election in Aachen, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
