According to a CCTV News report on January 16, Germany's ruling party, the CDU, held a national party congress to prepare for the election of a new party chairman. North Rhine-Westphalia Governor Armin Laschette was in second place. Elected as chairman in a round of voting. It is expected to become the federal chancellor to succeed Merkel in the Bundestag election in September this year.

During the meeting, Merkel delivered a speech online. She said that this will be the last time she will attend the party congress as German chancellor. Merkel has made it clear many times before that she will not seek re-election after stepping down in 2021, nor will she hold any political office.

The experience of German Chancellor Angela Merkel

In 1954, Angela Merkel was born in a priest family in the Federal Republic of Germany, and later the family moved to the GDR. In order to be admitted to a good university, she gave up her Russian and English majors, which she was good at, and went to the University of Leipzig in Germany to study physics. After graduation, she engaged in research work at the German Academy of Sciences. In 1986, he received his Ph.D. in Physics.

In 1989, the 35-year-old Merkel joined the Democratic Awakening Party, calling it the spokesperson for the Democratic Awakening Party.

In 1990, the Democratic Awakening Party merged with the CDU, and Merkel became a member of the CDU. On March 18, Merkel was appointed by Chancellor de Maiziere as deputy press spokesman for the East German government. Afterwards, Merkel became deputy director of the Federal Press Service at the recommendation of Günter Krause and began her campaign career.

On December 20, 1990, Merkel successfully marched into the Bundestag after her victory in the Bonn constituency. Here, she was appreciated by Helmut Kohl, chairman of the All-Germany CDU and first chancellor after the merger of East and West Germany.

On January 18, 1991, the 36-year-old Merkel took office as the Federal Minister of Women and Youth, becoming Germany's youngest federal parliamentarian and federal minister.

In 1994, she served as "Minister of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Reactor Safety". She pushed the "Anti-Smog Ozone Act" against a lot of resistance. Externally, she excelled at the UN climate summit in Berlin.

In September 1998, Merkel was elected as the general secretary of the CDU by overwhelming votes.

At the end of 1999, the "black gold case" in which the CDU received political donations from arms dealers during the Cole era was revealed, causing an uproar. Support for the CDU has plummeted. In February 2000, Scheuerle took the blame and resigned. In April of the same year, Merkel was elected as the chairman of the CDU, reaching the peak of the power of the CDU.

In October 2005, the Coalition Party and the Social Democratic Party jointly governed, and Merkel was successfully elected as chancellor, becoming the first chancellor in German history.

In 2018, Merkel resigned as party chairman, and the current German defense minister Karen Bauer took over to lead the CDU.

On January 26, 2021, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in her speech at the Davos Forum that now is the era of globalization, and people's lives depend on global connections. "The Chinese leader made a speech yesterday, and I agree with him in supporting multilateralism," she said.

       During Merkel's tenure, Sino-German friendly relations have been further promoted.

"The Germans democratically elected Merkel to lead them, and over an 18-year political career, Merkel has led 80 million Germans with professional competence, dedication, integrity and sincerity.

For 18 years, Merkel has had no irregularities and has not appointed any relatives to key positions. She lives in an ordinary apartment like other citizens, which she lived in before she was elected Chancellor of Germany. She did not move to a mansion, nor did she have a villa, servants, swimming pool and garden.

She did not advertise herself as the creator of glory. Merkel is known as the "Madame of the World", but the news media often photographed Merkel shopping in the vegetable market.

Just a few days ago, Merkel left the position of party leader and handed it over to the person after her, and Germany and the German people are in the best possible shape right now.

The German's reaction was unprecedented in German history. People nearby walked to the balcony of the house and spontaneously applauded her for six minutes. The German people stand together and bid farewell to this great German leader.

From scientist to German chancellor, she stepped down at the peak of her life. God bless this silent leader. "