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Editorial: Another 'Iron Lady'?
Angela Dorothea Merkel has secured her third four-year term in office as Chancellor of Germany, a feat equal to that of the late Margaret Thatcher otherwise known as the âIron Ladyâ, of the UK
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ngela Dorothea Merkel has secured her third four-year term in office as Chancellor of Germany, a feat equal to that of the late Margaret Thatcher otherwise known as the 'Iron Lady', of the UK. Such a comparison is not without merit as both women share many similarities in their paths to politics ' and eventual power.
Apart from managing to secure her third straight election victory like Thatcher, Merkel has also had a similar career path to that of the British politician. Like Thatcher, Merkel started her career as a research scientist. She then jumped into politics through affiliation with a political party and started out as a member of parliament, as Thatcher did.
Like Thatcher, Merkel was later appointed to ministerial office in the Cabinet. The only difference was that Merkel served in two different Cabinet posts in a row under Helmut Kohl's chancellorship, while Thatcher only served in Cabinet once under prime minister Edward Heath. Each of them was later elected leader of their respective political parties and eventually leader of their respective countries.
Another similarity is that Merkel was once president of the European Council and as such chaired the G8, the second woman after Thatcher to do so.
As with Thatcher, Merkel's leadership extends beyond her own country. As Chancellor of Germany, which is the largest economy in the European Union (EU) and the leading nation in the regional grouping, inevitably Merkel belongs not merely to Germany, but to the EU as a whole.
While Thatcher was well known for her influence and role in helping end the Cold War, Merkel exerts her influence in the economic affairs of her country and the EU. Merkel played a central role in the negotiation of the Treaty of Lisbon and the Berlin Declaration. She has played a crucial role in managing the financial crisis at the European and international level, and has been referred to as 'the decider'.
Merkel has been described as the de facto leader of the EU and currently named the world's second most powerful person by Forbes magazine, the highest ranking ever achieved by a woman.
Sunday's election result may have reinforced Merkel's central role in holding the European continent together. In contrast to Thatcher's uncompromising, leadership style, however, Merkel's own people, and perhaps Europeans in general, are expecting a 'step-by-step' approach during her third term in office leading members of the EU out of the current economic crisis.
