London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Sep 14, 2025

The most striking pictures of Merkel's 16 years in power

The most striking pictures of Merkel's 16 years in power

As the world remembers her 16 years in office, these are some of the most striking pictures of Merkel's time in power.

Angela Merkel’s rule in Germany might be over, but she definitely made her mark on world politics.

As Germany’s new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, takes office on Wednesday, the world is remembering Merkel’s historic contribution.

During her 16-year chancellorship, Merkel stood out as an indispensable crisis manager, managing to hold an increasingly fractious European Union together, while raising Germany’s profile and influence to unprecedented levels.

A scientist who grew up in former East Germany, Merkel rose to prominence in 1991 after chancellor Helmut Kohl appointed her as minister for women and youth. By 2005, she successfully took over the reins at CDU and became the country's first female chancellor.

Her tenure saw her having to handle major international crises, from the 2008 global recession to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The four terms in power meant that Merkel worked with four US presidents, five British prime ministers, four French presidents, and eight Italian premiers.

Named “The World’s Most Powerful Woman” by Forbes magazine for the past 10 years in a row, Merkel was also lauded for being a powerful role model for women, with politics still almost exclusively dominated by male figures.

But it's not just her calmness under pressure and ability to defuse the tensest of situations, both at home and abroad, that made her a largely popular international figure.

Merkel’s “rhombus” hand gesture, or “Merkel-Raute,” became so popular it received its own Wikipedia entry, an emoji, and it was eventually immortalised at the Madame Tussauds museum.

Although the end of her tenure as chancellor also marks an end to Merkel’s 31-year-long career as a politician, many believe that this is not the last the world sees of her.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, welcomes President Jacques Chirac of France, right, at the chancellery in Berlin, May 3, 2007.


German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks with U.S. President Barack Obama at Schloss Elmau hotel near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, during the G-7 summit, June 8, 2015.


German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a news conference after bilateral talks in Dresden, on Oct. 10, 2006


German Chancellor Angela Merkel gestures regarding the space between chairs as she speaks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Brussels.


German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks with U.S. President Donald Trump, seated at right, during the G7 summit in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada, June 9, 2018.


Two German youths walk past an election poster featuring the Christian Democratic Union's (CDU) leader and main candidate Angela Merkel in Berlin 11 August 2005.


German Chancellor Angela Merkel, centre, is surrounded by other leaders as they walk to pose for a photo in Heiligendamm, Germany, June 7, 2007.


German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, walk through the garden of the government guest house, Meseberg Palace.


British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel as she arrives at the COP26 U.N. Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 1, 2021.


German Chancellor Angela Merkel feeds a lemur that sits on her shoulder during her visit at the bird park in Marlow, northeastern Germany, Thursday, April 30, 2015.


Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, left, and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel join the welcome ceremony at the Palace of Brigades in Tirana, Albania, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021


French President Emmanuel Macron, right, holds the hands of German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a ceremony in Compiegne, north of Paris, Nov. 10, 2018.


Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony for Chinese panda bears Meng Meng and Jiao Qing at the Zoo in Berlin in 2017


Chancellor Angela Merkel follows proceedings at the Defence Ministry during the Grand Tattoo (Grosser Zapfenstreich), a ceremonial send-off for her, in Berlin, December 2 2021


A new wax figure of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, is presented to the media next to a wax figure from 2005, right, at Madame Tussauds in Berlin, Sept. 19, 2013.


Angela Merkel arrives for a television debate with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder at a television studio in Berlin, Sept. 4, 2005.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
×