MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Angela Merkel is leaving and the world loves her

Angela Merkel has been on the job for sixteen years and is the first woman Chancellor in Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel who will be stepping down following next Sunday's parliamentary election enjoys a strong reputation outside Germany and is more trusted than the main leaders of the world, according to the latest opinion polls' report published by Pew Research Center.

In effect Merkel, the first woman Chancellor of Germany received the highest confidence rating compared to US president Joe Biden, Russian president Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping and France's Emmanuel Macron.

Overall some 77% of those surveyed had confidence Angela Merkel did and would do the right thing in international affairs. However, the dissident voice came from Greece since Berlin and Athens repeatedly clashed during the Eurozone debt situation a decade ago.

In the UK, France and Italy confidence in Merkel's leadership was in the seventies, but in the Netherlands and Sweden is was overwhelming.

Despite respect and confidence in Merkel, a high percentage of Spaniards and Italians feel that the Chancellor had too much influence. This follows on ex Spanish president Felipe Gonzalez repeated statement that the task of the European Union was to achieve a European Germany instead of a German Europe

And precisely in Germany, 79% of those surveyed had a positive opinion of the outgoing Chancellor, and also about her handling of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Angela Dorothea Merkel became Chancellor in 2005, after serving as leader of the opposition from 2002 to 2005. She was chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union between 2000 and 2018.