Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel is a former German politician who served as the chancellor of Germany between 2005 and 2021. She represented the Christian Democratic Union, and was Germany’s first female chancellor. She received a doctorate in quantum chemistry in 1986 before entering politics on the cusp of the revolutions of 1989. During her time in office Merkel was an advocate for international co-operation, both within the EU and further afield. She has, however, faced criticism for ramping up Germany’s reliance on Russian natural gas in the wake of President Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. She is married to the German quantum chemist Joachim Sauer, who had two sons from his previous marriage.