Former Chancellor Angela Merkel has dismissed accusations that she systematically sidelined male rivals during her political career.
The “male-killing Merkel” label emerged in German political commentary during Angela Merkel’s rise inside the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU).
What does the ‘male-killing Merkel’ tag refer to?
It referred to the fact that several powerful male rivals or mentors saw their careers falter while Merkel advanced, including former Chancellor Helmut Kohl. During the CDU donations scandal in 1999, Merkel publicly distanced herself from Kohl in a newspaper article that helped end his dominance over the party.
High-ranking conservative Wolfgang Schäuble, who had been seen as Kohl’s heir, saw his position weakened during the same scandal. He would later serve under Merkel as a minister.
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: “Whatever I did, I was always put in relation to a man again. Whatever I did, it was never interpreted as my own decision, at least that was how it was portrayed. I found that strange, but later it subsided. I honestly consider it absurd.”
“Men constantly push other men out of the way. And when a woman does it, when she claims the path to a position for herself in exactly the same way as a man, then people speak of ‘male-killing Merkel.’ From my perspective that is completely baseless. Helmut Kohl did not become chancellor without encountering others who also wanted to become chancellor. That is simply how it is.”
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Merkel, a trained physicist from former East Germany, said it reflected the fact that there had been little experience with women in such political rivalries at the time. Other male rivals who fell by the wayside as Merkel advanced included Roland Koch, the influential conservative premier of Hesse once seen as a possible CDU leadership contender, and Christian Wulff, 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 fairly assess the coalition government led by her former adversary, amid widespread public dissatisfaction with its performance.
“Every citizen should, with moderation and balance, those were always my favorite words, try to appreciate what the government has already achieved,” she said.
Does Angela Merkel miss being chancellor?
Merkel, who served as chancellor from 2005 to 2021, has largely withdrawn into private life since leaving office. She said she still keeps a mobile phone on her bedside table, though not because of the news.
“One of the great advantages is that I no longer have to worry about being called in the middle of the night over a political matter.” The 71-year-old former chancellor said she does not miss that at all. “I had the privilege of being chancellor for so long that I could genuinely say of my own free will: I will not run again. It felt complete.”
In the interview, she also revealed a small vice. Asked which bad habit she would most like to give up, she replied: “Sometimes enjoying fried potatoes at ten o’clock at night a little too much.”
Edited by: Wesley Dockery
