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“Merkel was an emotionless, heartless, cold, cruel, pragmatic, vindictive power politician,” writes Mária Schmidt, Director-General of the House of Terror Museum, in an article titled “Germany and Europe’s gravedigger: Angela Merkel,” published on the blog Látószög. The historian sharply criticizes the former German Chancellor and describes her political legacy as a “deplorable inventory.”
According to Mária Schmidt, Angela Merkel did not build anything lasting during her 16-year chancellorship, but instead contributed to the weakening of Germany and Europe through her decisions and indecision.
Mária Schmidt, historian, Director-General of the House of Terror Museum. Photo: MTI/Hegedüs Róbert
The Director-General of the House of Terror Museum emphasizes that the former chancellor was a sober, pragmatic power politician who took no risks and avoided all conflicts. She also criticizes the fact that Merkel had no emotional attachment to her nation or her community, and that her power was purely self-serving and served no long-term public purpose.
She did not lead Germany or Europe, because she lacked the imagination, creativity and commitment to do so. She managed things.
She got bogged down in daily politics, adapting her positions and opinions to the results of focus groups and opinion polls. As a result, she fatally failed to make any decisions that had medium or long-term consequences. She did not take any risks, she blew all conflicts, she rounded them off, she toned them down. Her leitmotif was: ‘After me, the deluge.’ Merkel was interested in power and not in her country,” writes Mária Schmidt.
Over a decade ago, Angela Merkel was handed a German flag and tossed it away in disgust.
Has anything in Germany improved since then? pic.twitter.com/ew6axIaWeO
— ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) December 6, 2024
The historian criticizes Merkel’s decisions, such as the construction of Nord Stream 2, which she sees as collaboration with Russia, while other countries were held strictly accountable for complying with anti-Russian sanctions. Schmidt also holds the former chancellor responsible for the dismantling of the German army, which, according to the director-general of the House of Terror Museum, has contributed to the weakening of Germany’s and Europe’s security. “Merkel has left Germany completely at the mercy of Russian fossil energy,” she accused the former chancellor.
The opinion piece also addresses the issue of illegal migration.
Merkel had a dream in 2015 that led her to open Germany’s and Europe’s borders to unrestricted, unconditional, illegal migration,”
writes Schmidt. “Merkel’s wrong decisions have driven Germany to ruin. Migration has put a massive strain on social security funds, driven up housing prices, and of course, caused a housing crisis. Society’s sense of security has been shaken and the attacks by aggressive, unintegrated migrants are keeping the population in fear. A decimated army left Germany vulnerable to ever-increasing American demands,” the historian continues.
She also criticizes the former chancellor for intervening in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and for creating and guaranteeing the Minsk agreements (2014, 2015) as a mediator, which gave the impression that they could prevent a war. Nevertheless, the Russian-Ukrainian war broke out in 2022, and Merkel later admitted that she had in fact acted “in bad faith” and that the negotiations only served to buy Ukraine time to arm itself and prepare for war.
The Director-General also holds Merkel responsible for policies that have stifled the ambition of Germany and Europe, stifled innovation, fragmented societies, and caused the economy to stagnate.
“During Merkel’s 16 years as chancellor, Germany has aged as shabby, grey, and clumsy as she has. In her monotonous, unstylish, and clumsy jackets, trousers and shoes, she was the former GDR. In whose image she had molded the whole of Germany. It abolished freedom of speech, made the media uniform, dull, and decrepit, and its public figures slovenly and neglected. Today, Germany, once a better place, has become one big GDR.” writes the historian.
According to Schmidt, Merkel’s cowardice and indecisive policies have left Germany and Europe in a worse state than at the beginning of her chancellorship. She accuses the former German Chancellor of
not only bringing about her own political downfall with her wrong decisions and failures, but also of putting the whole of Europe in a vulnerable position.
According to the historian, Merkel finally brought her party, the CDU, to its knees by betraying and destroying its leader, Friedrich Merz, who had tabled a resolution in the German parliament to curb migration, which the AfD voted for.
“Merkel thinks you cannot vote with the far-right AfD. In fact, it was her unquenchable hatred of Merz and her defense of her own flawed and disastrous migration policy that prompted her to make this statement. Maybe a brainwashed, intimidated and long since de-educated part of Germans will listen and not vote for the CDU led by Merz.
Either way, the chances are good that Germany will remain ungovernable because the German elite, reduced to a state of ignorance, is of the opinion that entering into a coalition with the AfD and isolating the party (Brandmauer) is out of the question.
If that happens, only the CDU, SPD, and Greens will remain, leaving no chance for political renewal and economic growth in Germany,” argues the director-general.
Via latoszogblog.hu, Featured image: European Council
