Something interesting a lot of non-Germans might not know is that Merkel was catapulted into leadership of her party after everyone in line in front of her was dragged down by a (undeclared) donation scandal in 2000. (This includes former chancellor Kohl who took the secret of where the donations came from to his grave.)
She could have ran for chancellor in 2002, but over a famous breakfast she and her only rival Stoiber mutually agreed that he would run instead. Stoiber lost by the thinnest of margins. In 2005 it was then Merkel's turn to run. She won and has been in power ever since.
I realize that this is a hypothetical situation, but imagine being a person who has studied physics and knows the ins and outs of this subject as well as chemistry, then imagine you've also had 15 years of experience as head of government of your economically and politically successful country as well as experience in supranational affairs and organizations like the EU, and all the knowledge and experience that comes with that.
Now imagine trying to negotiate with a foreign world leader who, even though you have all this experience in sciences and governance, rose to prominence because of screaming on a TV show "you're fired" and whose populist following has affirmed to him that he's always in the right because he "tells it like it is."
Imagine how frustrating that must be to have not just experience but the knowledge, and you have to try to talk to a guy whose gut-reactions have suddenly become equivalent to your thinking not because they're they're backed by any concrete testing, thinking or knowledge but because a populist crowd has cheered him on.
CeterumCenseo85 on April 23rd, 2020 at 10:11 UTC »
Something interesting a lot of non-Germans might not know is that Merkel was catapulted into leadership of her party after everyone in line in front of her was dragged down by a (undeclared) donation scandal in 2000. (This includes former chancellor Kohl who took the secret of where the donations came from to his grave.)
She could have ran for chancellor in 2002, but over a famous breakfast she and her only rival Stoiber mutually agreed that he would run instead. Stoiber lost by the thinnest of margins. In 2005 it was then Merkel's turn to run. She won and has been in power ever since.
AustrianMichael on April 23rd, 2020 at 10:55 UTC »
She also speaks fluent Russian, so Putin can’t talk shit about her right next to her.
EddieVisaProphet on April 23rd, 2020 at 14:50 UTC »
I realize that this is a hypothetical situation, but imagine being a person who has studied physics and knows the ins and outs of this subject as well as chemistry, then imagine you've also had 15 years of experience as head of government of your economically and politically successful country as well as experience in supranational affairs and organizations like the EU, and all the knowledge and experience that comes with that.
Now imagine trying to negotiate with a foreign world leader who, even though you have all this experience in sciences and governance, rose to prominence because of screaming on a TV show "you're fired" and whose populist following has affirmed to him that he's always in the right because he "tells it like it is."
Imagine how frustrating that must be to have not just experience but the knowledge, and you have to try to talk to a guy whose gut-reactions have suddenly become equivalent to your thinking not because they're they're backed by any concrete testing, thinking or knowledge but because a populist crowd has cheered him on.