Biography

Is fluent in German, Russian and English.

From 22nd November 2005 the first female German Chancellor (Bundeskanzlerin).

Ranked in the "Time 100: The People Who Shape Our World" list by "Time" magazine (8 May 2006).

Topped "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women" list by "Forbes" magazine in 2006 (1 September 2006).

In addition to being the first female German Chancellor, she is also the first one to have grown up in East Germany, the first one born after World War II, and the first one with a background in natural sciences. She studied physics, her predecessors law and business.

[observation, 2014] The possibility of total digital surveillance touches the essence of our life. It is thus an ethical task that goes far beyond far beyond the politics of security. Millions of people who live in undemocratic states are watching very closely how the world's democracies react to threats to their security : whether they act circumspectly, in sovereign self-assurance, or undermine precisely what in the eyes of these millions of people makes them so attractive - freedom and the dignity of the individual

As politicians we have to react to the fact that many people do not feel that they can relate to the EU.

Overcoming the Cold War required courage from the people of Central and Eastern Europe and what was then the German Democratic Republic, but it also required the steadfastness of Western partner over many decades when many had long lost hope of integration of the two Germanys and Europe.

The willingness to learn new skills is very high.

Nobody in Europe will be abandoned. Nobody in Europe will be excluded. Europe only succeeds if we work together.