G

erman Chancellor Angela Merkel is praised internationally as the de facto leader of the European Union and the world’s most powerful female politician. But at home her standing is extremely different, at least today. Her popularity is declining sharply, especially because of her generous migration policy. Her coalition government is enduring a crisis of confidence from within.

Demands have been mounting for her resignation, after nearly 13 years in office that made her the EU’s longest serving leader. German people are showing fatigue and boredom with Merkel.

The same state of lethargy was behind the defeat of Pierre Trudeau, the father of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in the 1984 election. The people simply wished to end senior Trudeau’s nearly 16 years of rule.

Triggered by people’s frustration and even anger at her pro-migration policy, Merkel’s popularity has been waning, despite her fourth successive win in the election last year.

Merkel’s government is very successful in terms of managing the economy, although there are complaints about the yawning income gap. Her social and healthcare programs worked very well, but people are upset by her decision to accept hundreds of thousands of refugees from Iraq, Syria and other war-torn countries on humanitarian grounds.

“The people of Germany are turning against their leadership as migration is rocking the already tenuous Berlin coalition,” United States President Donald Trump tweeted in response to her difficulty in forming a Cabinet.

Merkel won her fourth term in the general election last September, but failed to lead her Christian Democratic Union to an outright majority. It took her three months to form her Cabinet, comprising the Christian Social Union in Bavaria and the Social Democrats. Now the Cabinet is on the brink of collapse after her interior minister and key political partner, Horst Seehofer, threatened to quit.

Amid the rise of the far right within EU member states, as evident in rising anti-Islamic and antimigration sentiments, strong figures like Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron are desperately needed. Merkel’s departure will be bad for European stability as far right leaders will gain much from her absence.

The chancellor has contributed much to the world, but perhaps Germany needs a fresh leader to put the political crisis to an end. Like old soldiers who never die but simply fade away, her legacy is well written and will be remembered.