Angela Merkel’s legacy is aging like milk left out in the sun. What was once hailed as the steady hand that guided Germany through crises is now being re-evaluated—and the verdict is damning. Merkel’s 16-year reign, marked by chronic inaction and political complacency, is beginning to unravel Germany’s stability from the inside out, with ripple effects across Europe. Behind her image as the ultimate crisis manager, Merkel perfected the art of kicking the can down the road, dodging meaningful reform, and fostering a political culture obsessed with short-term fixes. The consequences of her leadership—or lack thereof—are now all too visible: stagnating economic performance, a crumbling infrastructure, and a Europe struggling to keep pace with global power shifts.
Under Merkel’s leadership, Germany became an economic behemoth built on the brittle foundations of export dependence. But instead of future-proofing the economy, Merkel allowed it to ride on past glories. There were no substantial efforts to modernize Germany’s energy infrastructure, diversify its industrial output, or push digital innovation. As a result, the country is now dangerously exposed to disruptions in global supply chains and geopolitical pressures. Merkel’s fateful decision to tie Germany’s energy fortunes to Russian gas through Nord Stream pipelines epitomizes her political myopia. With the current energy crisis, this dependency has proven catastrophic, leaving Germany scrambling for alternatives as it faces sky-high prices and energy insecurity.
Merkel also leaves behind a political system paralyzed by caution. The so-called Große Koalition governments under her leadership created a climate of consensus-based stagnation. Instead of bold policy shifts, Merkel opted for political anesthesia, doing just enough to keep the wheels turning while avoiding any major reforms. The housing market has become a minefield of speculation, yet her administration failed to address the issue with serious policy intervention. Infrastructure investment was woefully neglected, leaving Germany with potholed roads, delayed train services, and airports that are the butt of international jokes. The digital lag is even more embarrassing; despite being Europe’s largest economy, Germany remains shockingly behind in broadband expansion and digital government services. Merkel’s approach to public spending was rooted in fiscal conservatism, but it looks increasingly like a false economy. Saving today has meant sowing the seeds of crises tomorrow.
Her passive leadership didn’t just harm Germany—it stunted the EU’s evolution when the bloc needed visionary leadership the most. Merkel was content to play the role of Europe’s reluctant matriarch, intervening only when crises were already out of hand. The eurozone debt crisis, the Greek bailout saga, and the mishandling of southern Europe’s economies all highlight Merkel’s failure to build a sustainable financial architecture for the eurozone. Furthermore, her handling of the 2015 refugee crisis, often praised for its humanity, was devoid of strategic foresight. While welcoming over a million refugees, Merkel’s government did little to integrate them properly, creating social friction that would later fuel the rise of far-right movements across Germany and Europe.
Today, Germany and the EU are still picking up the pieces from Merkel’s deferred decisions. Her tenure was the embodiment of political inertia disguised as pragmatism. With Europe facing unprecedented geopolitical challenges from a rising China, an increasingly aggressive Russia, and the uncertainties of U.S. foreign policy, Merkel’s lack of groundwork for a more resilient and cohesive Europe has left the continent vulnerable and adrift. Merkel’s legacy is not one of wise crisis management but of lost opportunities. The accumulated cost of her inaction is now being paid by her successors, who face the unenviable task of fixing a Germany—and a Europe—left with deep-rooted structural problems and dwindling influence on the global stage. Far from being the anchor that held Europe together, Merkel’s leadership has become an anchor dragging it down.
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