Former Chancellor Angela Merkel has faced allegations that she systematically sidelined male rivals during her political career.
The “man-killing Merkel” label emerged in German political commentary during the rise of Angela Merkel within the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU).
What does the ‘man-killing Merkel’ tag refer to?
It noted the fact that several powerful male rivals or advisers saw their careers falter while Merkel soared, including former Chancellor Helmut Kohl. During the CDU donations scandal in 1999, Merkel publicly distanced herself from Kohl in a newspaper article, helping to end his dominance over the party.
The high-ranking conservative Wolfgang Schäuble, who had been seen as Kohl’s successor, saw his position weakened during the same scandal. He would later serve as a minister under Merkel.
What did Merkel say about the label?
Asked about the characterization, which also referred to her early power struggle with current Chancellor Friedrich Merz, she told the news magazine Focus: “Everything I did, I was always put in a relationship with a man. Nothing I did was ever understood as my own decision, at least that’s how it was portrayed. I found it strange, but it subsided later. I honestly consider it absurd.”
“Men constantly push other men out of the way. And when a woman does that, when she claims a position for herself just like a man, people talk about ‘man-killing Merkel.’ From my point of view this is completely baseless. Helmut Kohl did not become Chancellor without meeting other people who wanted to be Chancellor. “That’s just the way it is.”
Merkel, a trained physicist from the former East Germany, said this reflected the fact that there was little experience with women in such political rivalries at the time. Other male rivals sidelined as Merkel advanced include Roland Koch, the influential conservative Prime Minister of Hesse, who was once seen as a potential contender for the CDU leadership, and Christian Wolf, a rising CDU figure whose German presidency later ended in scandal.
The rivalry with Merz dates back to the early 2000s, when Merkel emerged victorious in an internal party power struggle. However, in the interview, Merkel urged Germans to objectively evaluate the coalition government led by her former rival, amid widespread public discontent over its performance.
He said, “Every citizen should, with restraint and balance, these were always my favorite words, try to appreciate what the government has achieved.”
Does Angela Merkel miss being chancellor?
Merkel, who served as chancellor from 2005 to 2021, has largely retreated into private life since leaving office. She said she still keeps a mobile phone on her bedside table, although not because of the news.
“A big advantage is that I no longer have to worry about being called in the middle of the night on a political matter.” The 71-year-old former chancellor said he had no recollection of it at all. “I had the privilege of being chancellor for so long that I could actually say of my own free will: I will not run again. It felt complete.”
In the interview he also revealed a small evil. Asked what bad habit she would like to give up, she replied: “Sometimes I enjoy fried potatoes a little too much at ten o’clock at night.”
Edited by: Wesley Dockery