Frank Schmiechen: Angela Merkel had nothing to offer – except for herself

Column: This is the boomer speaking
Merkel had nothing to offer – except for herself

At the very beginning, I was happy. How this slightly pale woman from the East pulled the pants of the conservative men up. Splendid! Helmut Kohl took care of it with an article in the “FAZ”, followed by a long line of self-satisfied CDU oldies who went over the Wupper. They didn’t even know what was happening to them and were amazed to vacate their positions that they believed to be safe.

Hardly anything on offer except yourself

Angela Merkel loosened the difficult to remove, conservative, old, male sediment from the burned-in Union pan and replaced it with – nothing. Apart from herself, Merkel had hardly anything on offer. I felt that was a strength at the time. We live in post-ideological times. Digitization and the virus do not care whether the government is social democratic or Christian conservative. Challenges have to be solved. Period.

As a physicist, Merkel did not think things through from the end, as she always claimed. Ideologists do that. Scientists ask questions, construct a picture of reality and see problems as challenges against which they test their theses. Cool, unmoved, dispassionate. That was Merkel’s way. The highest of Merkel’s feelings was a slight roll of the eyes when Donald Trump was talking nonsense again.

Frank Schmiechen

Frank Schmiechen has been a journalist for more than 30 years. Among other things, he was deputy editor-in-chief of “Welt” and editor-in-chief of “Gründerszene”. Today he works as a Senior Advisor at the communications consulting agency WMP Eurocom. Schmiechen loves pop music and soccer.

Unfortunately, she was wrong when it came to really big decisions. By saying goodbye to nuclear power, Germany has given up the key to a future technology that could solve many problems. When millions of refugees stood at the border, Merkel hoped for a European solution – and a few days later had to realize that she had been wrong. Germany had to solve the problem on its own and pay for it. The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan was a tragedy. Germany abandoned many people there and exposed them to deadly dangers. A historical embarrassment.

Life in Germany like in the 80s

The conservative roots were cut during the Merkel years. In the past election campaign, someone in the Union could have spoken out juicy against gendering in the interests of their electorate. The subject was overslept. The Union could have presented itself as an advocate for German business in the climate debate. Instead, you hung your flag in the climate wind and threw temperature figures around you.

Merkel leaves us a country that needs to be repaired and patched up on all corners and edges. Infrastructure, schools, business, administration, self-confidence – almost everything. Sometimes life in Germany still feels like it was in the 80s. There was little sign of strategy, planning or foresight in the Merkel years. Instead one drove on sight. It was just about solving the next problem when it came up. So that everything can stay as it is. For 16 years Merkel became the German mother and father with this policy. Recognized and valued worldwide. For their sobriety, their pragmatism, their way of not taking themselves so seriously. That’s exactly why I valued her too.