117-531: Revolution of 1989 Kohl government Leader of the Christian Democratic Union First ministry and term Second ministry and term Third ministry and term Fourth ministry and term [REDACTED] Angela Dorothea Merkel ( German: [aŋˈɡeːla doʁoˈteːa ˈmɛʁkl̩] ; née Kasner ; born 17 July 1954) is a retired German politician who served as the chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021 and
234-577: A man's surname at birth that has subsequently been replaced or changed. The diacritic mark (the acute accent ) over the e is considered significant to its spelling, and ultimately its meaning, but is sometimes omitted. According to Oxford University 's Dictionary of Modern English Usage , the terms are typically placed after the current surname (e.g., " Margaret Thatcher , née Roberts" or " Bill Clinton , né Blythe"). Since they are terms adopted into English (from French), they do not have to be italicized , but they often are. In Polish tradition ,
351-681: A "Trio" formed by three consecutive Presidencies in order to provide more continuity to their conduct. However, the Foreign Affairs Council (one configuration of the Council of ministers), is no longer chaired by the representative of the member state holding the Presidency, but rather by the person holding the newly created post of High Representative . Additionally the Euro Group sub-unit of ECOFIN Eurozone countries
468-455: A "period of reflection", member states agreed instead to maintain the existing treaties and amend them, to bring into law a number of the reforms that had been envisaged in the abandoned constitution. An amending "reform" treaty was drawn up and signed in Lisbon in 2007. It was originally intended to have been ratified by all member states by the end of 2008. This timetable failed, primarily due to
585-709: A close advisor to Merkel. Merkel's performance as Minister of the Environment was criticised as "pitiful" by Gerhard Schröder . After the Kohl Government was defeated at the 1998 election , Merkel was appointed Secretary-General of the CDU . The 1998 election had widespread impacts; it was the CDU's worst performance in a federal election since 1949, and it resulted in Germany's first post-war left-wing government, led by
702-400: A fresh start for the party without him. On 10 April 2000, Merkel was elected to replace Schäuble as Chairperson of the CDU, becoming the first female leader of a German party. Her election surprised many observers, as her personality offered a contrast to the party she had been elected to lead; Merkel is a centrist Protestant originating from predominantly Protestant northern Germany, while
819-561: A mandate for an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) under their presidency. After the June negotiations and final settlement on a 16-page framework for the new Reform Treaty, the Intergovernmental conference on actually drafting the new treaty commenced on 23 July 2007. The IGC opened following a short ceremony. The Portuguese presidency presented a 145-page document (with an extra 132 pages of 12 protocols and 51 declarations) entitled
936-544: A member state formally requests it. Moreover, from 2014 a new version of the 1994 " Ioannina compromise " allows small minorities of EU states to call for re-examination of EU decisions. The treaty instructs that Council deliberations on legislation (that include debate and voting) will be held in public (televised), as was already the case in the European Parliament. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers , rotates among member states every six months, with
1053-559: A new EU institution named the Court of Justice of the European Union . The jurisdiction of the courts continued to be excluded from matters of foreign policy, though new jurisdiction to review foreign policy sanction measures, as well as certain ' Area of Freedom, Security and Justice ' (AFSJ) matters not concerning policing and criminal cooperation, were added. The treaty has expanded the use of qualified majority voting (QMV) in
1170-461: A new role for national parliaments. Negotiations to modify EU institutions began in 2001, resulting first in the proposed Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe , which would have repealed the existing European treaties and replaced them with a "constitution". Although ratified by a majority of member states, this was abandoned after being rejected by 55% of French voters on 29 May 2005 and then by 61% of Dutch voters on 1 June 2005. After
1287-581: A non-binding resolution endorsing the Lisbon Treaty by 525 votes in favour and 115 against, on the basis of an analysis of the treaty's implications by the Parliament's rapporteurs Richard Corbett and Inigo Mendez de Vigo . They had been the Parliament's rapporteurs on the constitutional treaty. All EU member states had to ratify the Treaty before it could enter into law. A national ratification
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#17327724582291404-664: A number of amendments to the Treaty on European Union ("Maastricht Treaty") and the Treaty establishing the European Community ("Treaty of Rome"), the latter renamed 'Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union' in the process. As amended by the Treaty of Lisbon, the Treaty on European Union provides a reference to the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights , making that document legally binding. The Treaty on European Union,
1521-437: A number of bodies created by dedicated treaties continue to exist as international entities technically in their own right, but are nevertheless considered facets of the EU, as their membership is legally restricted exclusively to EU members and subject to termination in case of withdrawal of a member state from the EU, while their constituent treaties vest various powers regarding them in the EU institutions; these bodies are: In
1638-592: A priority, particularly with regards to eldercare . On 4 October 2008, following the Irish Government's decision to guarantee all deposits in private savings accounts, a move she had strongly criticised, Merkel said there were no plans for the German Government to do the same. The following day, Merkel stated that the government would guarantee private savings account deposits, after all. However, two days later, on 6 October 2008, it emerged that
1755-659: A reference to breach "of the values referred to in Article 2" and the words "of this Treaty" shall be replaced by "of the Treaties"; The commission has published a consolidated text (in each community language) which shows the previous Treaties as revised by the Treaty of Lisbon. The fifty-five articles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union enshrine certain political, social, and economic rights for both European Union citizens and residents, into EU law . It
1872-577: A researcher and published several academic papers . In 1986, she was allowed to travel to West Germany to attend a congress. She also participated in a multi-week language course in Donetsk , in the then- Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic . The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 served as the catalyst for Merkel's political career. Although she did not participate in the crowd celebrations
1989-505: A teacher of English and Latin . She has two younger siblings, Marcus Kasner , a physicist, and Irene Kasner, an occupational therapist. In her childhood and youth, Merkel was known among her peers by the nickname "Kasi", derived from her last name Kasner. Merkel is of German and Polish descent. Her paternal grandfather, Ludwik Kasner , was a German policeman of Polish ethnicity. After being captured in France during World War I , he joined
2106-559: A vote. The presidency of the council, which continues to rotate among member states every six months, has lost influence: the prime minister of the country in question no longer chairs the European Council, and its foreign minister no longer represents the EU externally (that is now done by the High Representative). Despite the acquisition by the European Union of full international legal personality upon entry of
2223-607: Is acting neither on a proposal of the Commission nor on one of the High Representative, QMV requires 72% of the member states while the population requirement remains the same. However, the "blocking minority" that corresponds to these figures must comprise at least 4 countries. Hence, the voting powers of the member states are based on their population, and are no longer dependent on a negotiable system of voting points. The reform of qualified majority voting (QMV) in
2340-416: Is the feminine past participle of naître , which means "to be born". Né is the masculine form. The term née , having feminine grammatical gender , can be used to denote a woman's surname at birth that has been replaced or changed. In most English-speaking cultures, it is specifically applied to a woman's maiden name after her surname has changed due to marriage. The term né can be used to denote
2457-583: The 2002 election . Merkel's own ambition to become Chancellor was well-known, but she lacked the support of the most influential members within her own party. Rival candidate and leader of the CSU Edmund Stoiber was much more popular within the party at the time. In a private negotiation that came to be known as the Wolfratshausen Breakfast, Merkel agreed to cede the opportunity to challenge Schröder to Stoiber; in exchange, she
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#17327724582292574-642: The 2009 federal election , the CDU obtained the largest share of the vote, and Merkel subsequently formed a coalition government with the Free Democratic Party (FDP), an alliance more favourable to the CDU than the grand coalition. In the 2013 federal election , the CDU won a landslide victory and formed a second grand coalition with the SPD, after the FDP lost all of its representation in the Bundestag. In
2691-493: The 2017 federal election , Merkel led the CDU to become the largest party for the fourth time, resulting in the formation of a third grand coalition with the SPD. In foreign policy , Merkel emphasised international cooperation, both in the context of the EU and NATO , and initiating the Russian reset and strengthening of Eurasian and transatlantic economic relations . In the first half of 2007, Merkel served as president of
2808-656: The 25 Member States , was signed at a ceremony in Rome on 29 October 2004. Before it could enter into force, however, it had to be ratified by each member state. Ratification took different forms in each country, depending on the traditions, constitutional arrangements, and political processes of each country. In 2005, referendums held in France and the Netherlands rejected the European Constitution . While
2925-653: The Amato Group (officially the Action Committee for European Democracy, ACED) – a group of European politicians, backed by the Barroso Commission with two representatives in the group – worked unofficially on rewriting the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (EU Constitution). On 4 June 2007, the group released their text in French – cut from 63,000 words in 448 articles in
3042-601: The Blue Army and likely fought against Germany. He married Merkel's grandmother Margarethe, a German from Berlin, and relocated to her hometown where he again worked in the police. In 1930, they Germanised the Polish name Kaźmierczak to Kasner. Merkel's maternal grandparents were the Danzig politician Willi Jentzsch and Gertrud Alma (née Drange), a daughter of the city clerk of Elbing (now Elbląg , Poland) Emil Drange. Since
3159-462: The Council was one of the main issues in the negotiation of the Lisbon Treaty. The earlier rules for QMV, set in the Treaty of Nice and applying until 2014, required a majority of countries (50% / 67%), voting weights (74%), and population (62%). Between 2014 and 2017 a transitional phase is taking place where the new QMV rules apply, but where the old Nice treaty voting weights can be applied when
3276-513: The Council of Ministers , a change in calculating such a majority to a new double majority , a more powerful European Parliament forming a bicameral legislature alongside the Council of Ministers under the ordinary legislative procedure , a consolidated legal personality for the EU and the creation of a long-term President of the European Council and a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy . The Treaty also made
3393-588: The Council of Ministers . The European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT) Members contributed to the preparation of the Lisbon Agenda, which sought to make Europe the 'most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world' by 2010. But the implementation of the Agenda was less impressive than the declarations made at its adoption by the European Council in March 2000. ERT Members constantly stressed
3510-535: The Draft Treaty amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community and made it available on the Council of Ministers website as a starting point for the drafting process. In addition to government representatives and legal scholars from each member state, the European Parliament sent three representatives. These were conservative Elmar Brok , social democratic Enrique Baron Crespo and liberal Andrew Duff . Before
3627-531: The Free German Youth (FDJ), the official communist youth movement sponsored by the ruling Marxist–Leninist Socialist Unity Party of Germany . Membership was nominally voluntary, but those who did not join found it difficult to gain admission to higher education. She did not participate in the secular coming-of-age ceremony Jugendweihe , however, which was common in East Germany. Instead, she
Angela Merkel - Misplaced Pages Continue
3744-505: The German economy 's dependence on Russia, as well as the downsizing of the military that occurred during her tenure. Merkel was born Angela Dorothea Kasner in 1954, in Hamburg , West Germany , the daughter of Horst Kasner (1926–2011; né Kaźmierczak ), a Lutheran pastor and a native of Berlin, and his wife Herlind (1928–2019; née Jentzsch), born in Danzig (now Gdańsk , Poland ),
3861-640: The Maastricht Treaty (1992), known in updated form as the Treaty on European Union (2007) or TEU, as well as the Treaty of Rome (1957), known in updated form as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (2007) or TFEU. It also amends the attached treaty protocols as well as the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). Prominent changes included the move from unanimity to qualified majority voting in at least 45 policy areas in
3978-680: The SPD in national opinion polls, although her personal popularity lagged behind that of the incumbent. However, the CDU/CSU campaign suffered when Merkel, having made economic competence central to the CDU's platform, confused gross and net income twice during a televised debate. She regained some momentum after she announced that she would appoint Paul Kirchhof , a former judge at the German Constitutional Court and leading fiscal policy expert, as Minister of Finance. Merkel and
4095-586: The SPD . In the wake of this defeat on the federal level, Merkel oversaw a string of CDU election victories in six out of seven state elections in 1999, breaking the long-standing SPD- Green hold on the Bundesrat . Following a party funding scandal that compromised many leading figures of the CDU ;– including Kohl himself and his successor as CDU Leader, Wolfgang Schäuble – Merkel criticised her former mentor publicly and advocated
4212-573: The SWIFT data sharing deal with the US and threatened to do so over a free trade agreement with South Korea . The redistribution of separated powers was affected by the ratification process. Like the commission, the Council of Ministers has, relatively, lost power due to Treaty of Lisbon. Its dynamic has also changed as member states have lost their veto in a number of areas. Consequently, they have had to come up with stronger arguments faster in order to win
4329-803: The Stasi . Merkel declined, using the excuse that she could not keep secrets well enough to be an effective spy. Merkel worked and studied at the Central Institute for Physical Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences in Berlin-Adlershof from 1978 to 1990. At first, she and her husband squatted in Mitte . At the Academy of Sciences, she became a member of its FDJ secretariat. According to her former colleagues, she openly propagated Marxism as
4446-513: The election of September 2013 , Merkel won one of the most decisive victories in German history, achieving the best result for the CDU/CSU since reunification and coming within five seats of the first absolute majority in the Bundestag since 1957. However, their preferred coalition partner, the FDP, failed to enter parliament for the first time since 1949, being below the minimum of 5% of second votes required to enter parliament. The CDU/CSU turned to
4563-652: The first (and only) multi-party election in 1990 and was later expelled from the party. As a result, the DA lost most of its electoral support, only managing to obtain four seats in the Volkskammer . However, because the DA was a member party of the Alliance for Germany , which won the election in a landslide, the DA was included in the government coalition. Merkel was appointed deputy spokesperson of this last pre- unification government under Lothar de Maizière . De Maizière
4680-559: The initial rejection of the Treaty in June 2008 by the Irish electorate, a decision which was reversed in a second referendum in October 2009 after Ireland secured a number of concessions related to the treaty. The need to review the EU's constitutional framework, particularly in light of the accession of ten new Member States in 2004, was highlighted in a declaration annexed to the Treaty of Nice in 2001. The agreements at Nice had paved
4797-411: The 2003 invasion of Iraq, describing it as "unavoidable". She also criticised the government's support for the accession of Turkey to the European Union , instead arguing in favour of a " privileged partnership ". On 30 May 2005, Merkel won the CDU/CSU nomination to challenge Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of the SPD in the 2005 federal elections . Her party began the campaign with a 21–point lead over
Angela Merkel - Misplaced Pages Continue
4914-471: The 2010s European migrant crisis , and the COVID-19 pandemic were major issues during her chancellorship. Merkel stepped down as leader of the CDU in 2018 and did not seek a fifth term as chancellor in the 2021 federal election . Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , her legacy came under increased scrutiny both in Germany and abroad for her relatively good relations with Russia and increasing
5031-476: The CDU is a male-dominated, socially conservative party with strongholds in western and southern Germany, and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, has deep Catholic roots. Following Merkel's election as CDU Leader, the CDU did not obtain electoral victories in subsequent state elections. In February 2001, her rival Friedrich Merz voiced his intention to become Gerhard Schröder 's main challenger for Chancellorship in
5148-564: The CDU lost ground after Kirchhof proposed the introduction of a flat tax in Germany, again undermining the party's broad appeal on economic affairs. This was compounded by Merkel's proposal to increase VAT to reduce Germany's deficit and fill the gap in revenue from a flat tax. The SPD were able to increase their support simply by pledging not to introduce flat taxes or increase VAT. Although Merkel's standing recovered after she distanced herself from Kirchhof's proposals, she remained considerably less popular than Schröder, who had been perceived as
5265-416: The Council of Ministers by having it replace unanimity as the standard voting procedure in almost every policy area outside taxation and foreign policy. Moreover, taking effect in 2014, the definition of a qualified majority has changed: a qualified majority is reached when at least 55% of all member states, who comprise at least 65% of EU citizens, vote in favour of a proposal. When the Council of Ministers
5382-400: The Council of the European Union at the time, arranged a ceremony inside the 16th-century Jerónimos Monastery , the same place Portugal's treaty of accession to the European Union (EU) was signed in 1985. Representatives from the 27 EU member states were present, and signed the Treaty as plenipotentiaries , marking the end of treaty negotiations. In addition, for the first time an EU treaty
5499-466: The EU , with Chancellor Angela Merkel leading the negotiations as President-in-Office of the European Council. After dealing with other issues, such as deciding on the accession of Cyprus and Malta to the Eurozone , negotiations on the Treaty took over and lasted until the morning of 23 June 2007. The hardest part of the negotiations was reported to be Poland's insistence on square root voting in
5616-630: The European Council and played a central role in the negotiation of the Treaty of Lisbon and the Berlin Declaration . Merkel's governments managed the global 2007–2008 financial crisis and the European debt crisis . She negotiated the 2008 European Union stimulus plan , which focused on infrastructure spending and public investment to counteract the Great Recession . In domestic policy, Merkel's Energiewende program supported
5733-618: The June meeting, the name 'Reform Treaty' also emerged, finally clarifying that the Constitutional approach was abandoned. Technically it was agreed that the Reform Treaty would amend both the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC) to include most provisions of the European Constitution, however not to combine them into one document. It was also agreed to rename
5850-619: The Opposition in the Bundestag , as had been agreed upon between her and Stoiber. Friedrich Merz, who had held the post prior to the 2002 election, was eased out to make way for Merkel. Merkel supported a substantial reform agenda for Germany's economic and social system and was considered more pro-market than her own party (the CDU). She advocated German labour law changes, specifically removing barriers to laying off employees and increasing
5967-424: The SPD to form the third grand coalition in postwar German history and the second under Merkel's leadership. The third Cabinet of Angela Merkel was sworn in on 17 December 2013. Birth name#Maiden and married names A birth name is the name given to a person upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname , the given name , or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered,
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#17327724582296084-602: The Treaty (then called the 'Reform Treaty') be signed in Lisbon , the Portuguese capital. This request was granted, and the Treaty was thus to be called the Treaty of Lisbon, in line with the tradition of European Union treaties. The Portuguese presidency was appointed to the job of organising the programme for a signing ceremony. The signing of the Treaty of Lisbon took place in Lisbon, Portugal on 13 December 2007. The Government of Portugal , by virtue of holding Presidency of
6201-668: The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe to 12,800 words in 70 articles. In the Berlin Declaration, the EU leaders unofficially set a new timeline for the new treaty: On 21 June 2007, the European Council of heads of states or governments met in Brussels to agree upon the foundation of a new treaty to replace the rejected Constitution . The meeting took place under the German Presidency of
6318-450: The Treaty of Lisbon into force, the EU has not achieved a truly unitary personality. One of the European Communities has remained a distinct international body, though under common management with the EU, namely: Moreover, one of the EU institutions has retained partial independence at the international level, and has been considered under certain conditions a distinct international body empowered with entering treaties, namely: In addition,
6435-432: The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the Charter of Fundamental Rights thus have equal legal value and combined constitute the European Union's legal basis. A typical amendment in Treaty of Lisbon text is: Article 7 shall be amended as follows: (a) throughout the Article, the word "assent" shall be replaced by "consent", the reference to breach "of principles mentioned in Article 6(1)" shall be replaced by
6552-421: The Union and to improving the coherence of its action". Opponents of the Treaty of Lisbon, such as former Danish Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Jens-Peter Bonde , argued that it would centralize the EU, and weaken democracy by "moving power away" from national electorates. Supporters argue that it brings more checks and balances into the EU system, with stronger powers for the European Parliament and
6669-430: The Union's bill of rights, the Charter of Fundamental Rights , legally binding. For the first time, the treaty gave member states the explicit legal right to leave the EU , and established a procedure by which to do so. The stated aim of the treaty was to "complete the process started by the Treaty of Amsterdam (1997) and by the Treaty of Nice (2001) with a view to enhancing the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of
6786-471: The United Kingdom and Poland, it was also decided to add a protocol to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (clarifying that it did not extend the rights of the courts to overturn domestic law in Britain or Poland). Among the specific changes were greater ability to opt out in certain areas of legislation and that the proposed new voting system that was part of the European Constitution would not be used before 2014 (see Provisions below). In
6903-481: The allowed number of work hours in a week. She argued that existing laws made the country less competitive, because companies could not easily control labour costs when business was slow. Merkel argued that Germany should phase out nuclear power less quickly than the Schröder administration had planned. Merkel advocated a strong transatlantic partnership and German-American friendship. In the spring of 2003, defying strong public opposition, Merkel came out in favour of
7020-419: The childhood of her father, who later studied Lutheran theology in Heidelberg and Hamburg. In 1954, when Angela was just three months old, her father received a pastorate at the church in Quitzow (a district of Perleberg in Brandenburg), which was then in East Germany . The family moved to Templin and Merkel grew up in the countryside 90 km (56 mi) north of East Berlin . In 1968, Merkel joined
7137-447: The coalition government", it was also widely criticised as ineffectual. The deal also increased the tax burden on employers and their publicly insured employees. The 2006 round of reforms introduced the "health insurance duty", which establishes that individuals must be insured either through the public insurance system or through private insurance firms and accordingly cannot be uninsured. The reforms also targeted preventive healthcare as
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#17327724582297254-412: The commission, the traditional motor of integration, to the European Council with its new full-time and longer-term President. The split between the Commission and European Council presidents involved overlap, potential rivalry and unwieldy compromises, such as both presidents attending international summits, in theory each with their own responsibilities, but inevitably with a considerable grey area. There
7371-405: The competences of the EU beyond its competences as defined in the treaties . The European Central Bank gained the official status of being an EU institution, and the European Council was given the right to appoint presidents of the European Central Bank through a qualified majority vote . On a related topic, the euro became the official currency of the Union (though not affecting opt-outs or
7488-411: The continuing effects of the 2008–2009 financial crisis, unemployment sank below the mark of 3 million unemployed people in 2011. Following increased debate on the subject in the summer of 2010, the German government announced plans to abolish conscription in Germany , making the Bundeswehr a volunteer military , in November 2010. The decision was finalised in December that year, and conscription
7605-514: The council, Poland indicated they wished to re-open some areas. During June, Poland's Prime Minister had controversially stated that Poland would have a substantially larger population were it not for World War II. Another issue was that Dutch prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende succeeded in obtaining a greater role for national parliaments in the EU decision-making process, as he declared this to be non-negotiable for Dutch agreement. Portugal had pressed and supported Germany to reach an agreement on
7722-407: The course of the financial crisis, the Merkel cabinet increased the budget of the Kurzarbeit program significantly and extended the permitted duration of such contracts from 6 months to 18 months. Although similar provisions had existed previously, the Merkel cabinet's expansion of the program was widely praised and is credited with having saved 500,000 jobs during the financial crisis. Merkel's CDU
7839-425: The crucial backing of influential CDU minister and state party chairman Günther Krause . She was re-elected from this constituency (renamed, with slightly adjusted borders, Vorpommern-Rügen – Vorpommern-Greifswald I in 2003) in every election until the CDU lost its direct mandate [ de ] from the constituency in the 2021 federal election . Almost immediately following her entry into parliament, Merkel
7956-429: The development of renewable energy sources and eventually phased out the use of nuclear power in Germany . Despite the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea , which prompted sanctions around the world, she initiated the construction of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipelines to Russia and protected their construction from United States sanctions imposed in 2019. Reforms to the Bundeswehr , health care reform ,
8073-421: The end of 2008, thus entering into force on 1 January 2009. This plan failed however, primarily due to the initial rejection of the Treaty in 2008 by the Irish electorate in a referendum, a decision which was reversed in a second referendum in October 2009. Ireland , as required by its constitution , was the only member state to hold referendums on the Treaty. In the UK, the European Union (Amendment) Bill
8190-605: The entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth register may by that fact alone become the person's legal name . The assumption in the Western world is often that the name from birth (or perhaps from baptism or brit milah ) will persist to adulthood in the normal course of affairs—either throughout life or until marriage. Some reasons for changes of a person's name include middle names , diminutive forms, changes relating to parental status (due to one's parents' divorce or adoption by different parents), and gender transition . The French and English-adopted née
8307-409: The final drafts of the Treaty. During the council, it became clear that the Reform Treaty would be called the 'Treaty of Lisbon', because its signing would take place in Lisbon —Portugal being the holder of the presidency of the Council of the European Union at the time. At the European Council meeting on 18 and 19 October 2007 in Lisbon, a few last-minute concessions were made to ensure the signing of
8424-566: The first female leader of the Opposition, two years later. Following the 2005 federal election , Merkel was elected chancellor, leading a grand coalition consisting of the CDU, the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). She was the first woman to be elected chancellor, and the first chancellor of reunified Germany to have been raised in the former East Germany. In
8541-654: The free world . Merkel was born in Hamburg in West Germany . Her family moved to East Germany when she was an infant. Merkel obtained a doctorate in quantum chemistry in 1986 and worked as a research scientist until 1989. She then entered politics in the wake of the Revolutions of 1989 , briefly serving as deputy spokeswoman for the first democratically elected government of East Germany led by Lothar de Maizière . Following German reunification in 1990, Merkel
8658-488: The internal relations within EU, its legal personality is fragmented further, as each of the agencies, decentralised independent bodies, corporate bodies and joint undertakings of the European Union and the Euratom is considered a juridical person in its own right, distinct from the legal personality of EU as a whole. As an amending treaty, the Treaty of Lisbon is not intended to be read as an autonomous text. It consists of
8775-423: The main aim of her government would be to reduce unemployment, and that it was this issue on which her government would be judged. Reform of the German healthcare system was a salient issue during the 2005 election; the previous system had been criticised as inefficient and overly bureaucratic. After a significant period of negotiations, a deal was passed in 2006. While this agreement was described as having "saved
8892-484: The majority of the Member States already had ratified the European Constitution (mostly through parliamentary ratification, although Spain and Luxembourg held referendums), due to the requirement of unanimity to amend the treaties of the EU, it became clear that it could not enter into force. This led to a "period of reflection" and the political end of the proposed European Constitution. In 2007, Germany took over
9009-460: The mid-1990s, Merkel has publicly mentioned her Polish heritage on several occasions and described herself as a quarter Polish, but her Polish roots became better known as a result of a 2013 biography. Religion played a key role in the Kasner family's migration from West Germany to East Germany. Merkel's paternal grandfather was originally Catholic but the entire family converted to Lutheranism during
9126-414: The more generally competent and trustworthy candidate. The CDU's lead was down to 9 percentage points on the eve of the election, with Merkel having a significant lead in popularity based on opinion polls. On 18 September 2005, Merkel's CDU/CSU and Schröder's SPD went head-to-head in the national elections, with the CDU/CSU winning 35.2% (CDU 27.8% / CSU 7.5%) of the second votes to the SPD's 34.2%. The result
9243-571: The need for better performance by national governments towards achieving the Lisbon targets within a specified timeframe that otherwise risked remaining beyond Europe's grasp. In subsequent years, ERT regularly contributed to the debate on how to ensure better implementation of the Lisbon Agenda across all EU Member States, including on ways to foster innovation and achieve higher industry investment in Research & Development in Europe. The agreement
9360-467: The night the wall came down, one month later Merkel became involved in the growing democracy movement, joining the new party Democratic Beginning ( Demokratischer Aufbruch , abbreviated to DA). Party Leader Wolfgang Schnur appointed her as press spokeswoman of the party in February 1990. However, Schnur was revealed to have served as an " informal co-worker " for the Stasi just a few weeks ahead of
9477-527: The opening of the IGC, the Polish government expressed a desire to renegotiate the June agreement, notably over the voting system, but relented under political pressure by most other Member States, due to a desire not to be seen as the sole trouble maker over the negotiations. The October European Council, led by Portugal's Prime Minister and then President-in-Office of the European Council, José Sócrates , consisted of legal experts from all Member States scrutinising
9594-499: The pledge was simply a political move that would not be backed by legislation. Most other European governments eventually either raised the limits or promised to guarantee savings in full. The German government stepped in to assist the mortgage company Hypo Real Estate with a bailout. The deal was agreed upon on 6 October, with German banks contributing €30 billion and the Bundesbank €20 billion to an emergency credit line. At
9711-468: The political position as such, it has been described as instrumental in building her early political image. During her tenure, the government codified the right to preschool education , although the law only went into effect in 1996. In June 1992, § 218 of the StGB , which governed abortion rights, was rewritten to allow abortions until the 12th week of pregnancy. Though she was personally opposed to abortion at
9828-717: The process of Eurozone enlargement ). Under the Treaty of Lisbon, the Court of First Instance has been renamed the General Court . The Civil Service Tribunal and the European Court of Justice (formerly named the Court of Justice of the European Communities , and formally called only Court of Justice after the Treaty of Lisbon), along with the General Court, were established as sub-courts of
9945-478: The public healthcare system in 2009, the Merkel government passed widely unpopular healthcare reforms in 2010. The changes reduced healthcare spending in certain areas and increased employer and employee contributions to 15.5% of gross wages. The reforms also established that future contribution increases would only affect the contributions by employers, which was criticised by opposition parties and trade unions . In
10062-471: The rotating EU Presidency and declared the period of reflection over. By March, the 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome , the Berlin Declaration was adopted by all Member States. This declaration outlined the intention of all Member States to agree on a new treaty in time for the 2009 Parliamentary elections , that is to have a ratified treaty before mid-2009. Already before the Berlin Declaration,
10179-457: The secretary for "Agitation and Propaganda". However, Merkel has denied this claim and stated that she was secretary for culture, which involved activities like obtaining theatre tickets and organising talks by visiting Soviet authors. She stated: "I can only rely on my memory, if something turns out to be different, I can live with that." After being awarded a doctorate ( Dr. rer. nat. ) for her thesis on quantum chemistry in 1986, she worked as
10296-678: The term z domu (literally meaning "of the house", de domo in Latin ) may be used, with rare exceptions, meaning the same as née . Treaty of Lisbon The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty ) is a European agreement that amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU). The Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed by all EU member states on 13 December 2007, entered into force on 1 December 2009. It amends
10413-410: The time indicated that the grand coalition would pursue a mix of policies, some of which differed from Merkel's political platform as leader of the opposition and candidate for Chancellor. The coalition's intent was to cut public spending whilst increasing VAT (from 16 to 19%), social insurance contributions and the top rate of income tax . When announcing the coalition agreement, Merkel stated that
10530-851: The time of the Greek government-debt crisis , Germany was the largest creditor of the Greek government, giving it significant negotiating power. Merkel is often credited as having "saved the Euro", primarily due to her coordinating role in the development of debt relief policy. The austerity measures imposed on debtors such as Greece, which were a significant part of Merkel's position in the negotiations, have been criticised as overly harsh by some observers. Critics also highlighted Germany's own debt management issues. A Bloomberg opinion piece noted that "irresponsible borrowers can't exist without irresponsible lenders"; accordingly, "Germany's banks were Greece's enablers." In
10647-543: The time, Merkel abstained during the vote on the bill. The law was later overturned by the Federal Constitutional Court on the basis that there must be a general prohibition of abortion. In 1994, she was promoted to the position of Minister for the Environment and Nuclear Safety , which gave her greater political visibility and a platform on which to build her personal political career. As one of Kohl's protégées and his youngest Cabinet Minister, she
10764-503: The top of her class in these subjects. She completed her school education with the best possible average Abitur grade of 1.0. Merkel continued her education at Karl Marx University, Leipzig , where she studied physics from 1973 to 1978. While a student, she participated in the reconstruction of the ruin of the Moritzbastei , a project students initiated to create their own club and recreation facility on campus. Such an initiative
10881-500: The treaty establishing the European Community, which is the main functional agreement including most of the substantive provisions of European primary law, to " Treaty on the Functioning of the Union ". In addition, it was agreed, that unlike the European Constitution where a charter was part of the document, there would only be a reference to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union to make that text legally binding. After
10998-494: The treaty included the same institutional reforms as those in the rejected Constitution, but merely without language and symbols that suggested Europe might have 'formal political status'. These 'more symbolic than substantial' concessions were designed 'to head off any threat of referenda [ sic ]' which had killed the Constitution. At the meeting of the European Council in October 2007, Portugal insisted that
11115-399: The treaty on the functioning of the EU left many questions open (uncertainties which have led to calls for another new treaty in response to the economic crisis in the late 2000s). When its impact is assessed, the biggest winners from Lisbon have been Parliament, with its increase in power, and the European Council. The first months under Lisbon arguably saw a shift in power and leadership from
11232-415: The treaty. That included giving Poland a slightly stronger wording for the revived Ioannina Compromise , plus a nomination for an additional Advocate General at the European Court of Justice . The creation of the permanent "Polish" Advocate General was formally permitted by an increase of the number of Advocates General from 8 to 11. Despite these concessions and alterations, Giscard d’Estaing stated that
11349-428: The two parties reached a deal for a grand coalition whereby Merkel would become Chancellor and the SPD would hold 8 of the 16 seats in the cabinet. The deal was approved by both parties at party conferences on 14 November 2005. Merkel was elected Chancellor by the majority of delegates (397 to 217) in the newly assembled Bundestag on 22 November 2005, but 51 members of the governing coalition voted against her. Reports at
11466-410: The way for further enlargement of the Union by reforming voting procedures. The Laeken declaration of December 2001 committed the EU to improving democracy , transparency and efficiency, and set out the process by which a constitution aiming to achieve these goals could be created. The European Convention was established, presided over by former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing , and
11583-551: Was confirmed . During this time, she participated in several compulsory courses on Marxism–Leninism , with her grades only being regarded as "sufficient". Merkel later said that "Life in the GDR was sometimes almost comfortable in a certain way, because there were some things one simply couldn't influence." Merkel learned to speak Russian fluently at school, and she was awarded prizes for her proficiency in Russian and mathematics, being at
11700-482: Was re-elected in 2009 with an increased number of seats and could form a governing coalition with the FDP . After brief negotiations, the second Merkel cabinet was sworn in on 28 October 2009. In early 2011, Merkel's approval ratings plummeted, resulting in heavy losses in state elections for her party. An August 2011 poll found her coalition had only 36% support compared to a rival potential coalition's 51%. Notwithstanding
11817-479: Was also signed by the presidents of the three main EU institutions. Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom did not take part in the main ceremony, and instead signed the treaty separately a number of hours after the other delegates. A requirement to appear before a committee of British MPs was cited as the reason for his absence. On 20 February 2008, the European Parliament voted in favour of
11934-536: Was appointed by Chancellor Helmut Kohl to serve as Minister for Women and Youth in the federal cabinet . In November 1991, Merkel, with the support of the federal CDU, ran for the state leadership of the CDU in the state of Brandenburg, which neighbours Berlin. She lost to Ulf Fink . In June 1993, Merkel was elected leader of the CDU in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, succeeding her former mentor Günther Krause . Although Merkel had little interest in
12051-467: Was completed and registered when the instruments of ratification were lodged with the Government of Italy. The month following the deposition of the last national ratification saw the Treaty enter into force across the EU. Under the original timetable set by the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2007, the Treaty was initially scheduled to be fully ratified by
12168-580: Was debated in the House of Commons on 21 January 2008, and passed its second reading that day by a vote of 362 to 224; Prime Minister Gordon Brown was absent that day; the Bill was proposed to the Commons by David Miliband . The Czech instrument of ratification was the last to be deposited in Rome on 13 November 2009. Therefore, the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force on 1 December 2009. The exact impact of
12285-610: Was drafted by the European Convention and solemnly proclaimed on 7 December 2000 by the European Parliament , the Council of Ministers and the European Commission . However its then legal status was uncertain and it did not have full legal effect until the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009. In the rejected Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe the charter
12402-429: Was elected to the Bundestag for the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern . As the protégée of chancellor Helmut Kohl , Merkel was appointed as Minister for Women and Youth in 1991, later becoming Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in 1994. After the CDU lost the 1998 federal election , Merkel was elected general secretary of the party. She then became the party's first female leader, and
12519-677: Was frequently referred to by Kohl as "my girl" ( mein Mädchen ). During this period, she was closely mentored by Kohl. As Minister of the Environment, Merkel was instrumental in setting up the United Nation's 1995 Berlin Climate Change Conference . She is often credited as having brought about its most notable result, the first international commitment to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions . Around this time, she also first hired Beate Baumann , who would remain
12636-443: Was given the task of consulting as widely as possible across Europe with the aim of producing a first draft of the Constitution. The final text of the proposed Constitution was agreed upon at the summit meeting on 18–19 June 2004 under the presidency of Ireland. Until the Lisbon Treaty the EU did not have any explicit law respecting the foreign investment regulations. The Constitution , having been agreed by heads of government from
12753-746: Was impressed with the way Merkel handled journalists investigating Schnur's role in the Stasi. In April 1990, the DA merged with the East German Christian Democratic Union , which in turn merged with its western counterpart after reunification. In the German federal election of 1990 , the first to be held following reunification, Merkel successfully stood for election to the Bundestag in the parliamentary constituency of Stralsund – Nordvorpommern – Rügen in North Mecklenburg-Vorpommern . She received
12870-471: Was integrated as a part of the treaty itself. In the Lisbon Treaty, however, the charter is incorporated by reference and given legal status without forming part of the treaties. The EU must act and legislate consistently with the Charter and the EU's courts will strike down EU legislation which contravenes it. The Charter only applies to EU member states as regards their implementation of EU law and does not extend
12987-400: Was reached on a 16-page mandate for an Intergovernmental Conference , that proposed removing much of the constitutional terminology and many of the symbols from the old European Constitution text. In addition, it was agreed to recommend to the IGC that the provisions of the old European Constitution should be amended in certain key aspects (such as voting or foreign policy). Due to pressure from
13104-456: Was so close that both Schröder and Merkel initially claimed victory. Neither the SPD–Green coalition nor the CDU/CSU and its preferred coalition partners, the Free Democratic Party , held enough seats to form a majority in the Bundestag. A grand coalition between the CDU/CSU and SPD would face the challenge of both parties demanding the chancellorship. However, after three weeks of negotiations ,
13221-550: Was some expectation that the posts might be merged—as permitted under the new treaty—in 2014, when their two mandates expired. Parliament has used its greater powers over legislation, but also for example over the appointment of the commission to gain further privileges from President Barroso and it used its budgetary powers as a veto over how the External Action Service should be set up. It also applied its new power over international agreements to rapidly block
13338-401: Was suspended on 1 July 2011. Although somewhat popular at the time, the decision has later come under scrutiny, particularly following to the Russian invasion of Ukraine . It has also been criticised in conjunction with Germany's financial commitments to NATO . In 2023, 61% of Germans said that they were in favour of reestablishing conscription. Responding to a budget deficit of €11 billion in
13455-483: Was the first woman to hold that office. She previously served as leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2005 and as the leader of the Christian Democratic Union from 2000 to 2018. During her chancellorship, Merkel was frequently referred to as the de facto leader of the European Union (EU) and the most powerful woman in the world. Beginning in 2016 , she was often described as the leader of
13572-649: Was to become leader of the CDU/CSU faction in the Bundestag following the election. Although pre-election polling had indicated that voters strongly favoured Stoiber, he went on to lose the election by a thin margin. The election campaign was dominated by the Iraq War . While Chancellor Schröder had made clear he would not join the war in Iraq, Merkel was in support of the war at the time, although she later claimed that she had opposed it. After Stoiber's defeat in 2002, in addition to her role as CDU Leader, Merkel became Leader of
13689-496: Was unprecedented in the GDR of that period, and initially resisted by the university. With backing of the local leadership of the SED party, the project was allowed to proceed. Near the end of her studies, Merkel sought an assistant professorship at an engineering school. As a condition for getting the job, Merkel was told she would need to agree to report on her colleagues to officers of
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