The Germans entrusted her with governing the country four times, and there are many indications that they now regret it. However, Angela Merkel does not intend to apologize. She has just published a memoir. She titled the book “Freedom”. Malicious people claim that three years since she ended her political career is too short a break to assess her achievements. But it's high time, if forced, to defend it.
It is about Trump, Putin, Tusk, Lech Kaczyński, and generally a lot about Poland. “Freedom”, a book by Angela Merkel, is conquering German bookstores, and its author has appeared publicly for the first time in a long time.
– When I left office, it was liberating. It was liberating to write this book. And now a new stage is coming. When you hold this book in your hands for the first time, this gem, you look at yourself with a little admiration and say: oh my – said Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021.
The former German chancellor wrote her memoirs with the help of Beate Baumann, her long-time advisor and close collaborator.
In the book, Merkel talks about her childhood and youth spent in the GDR and the beginning of her political career, but the participants of the meeting with the author say that the most interesting thing is the behind-the-scenes of her 16 years at the peak of power.
Gallant gestures of Lech Kaczyński, “straightforward” Tusk
– It is incredible how many serious and groundbreaking decisions were made during her rule – comments one of the participants of the meeting with Angela Merkel. – It's exciting to find out what he has to say now. The way he justifies his decisions gives us insight into the backstage of politics – another participant echoes him.
So far, short fragments of the book have been published in the German media. Now the first reviews are appearing.
– I was curious whether this book was a kind of laurel written in self-defense, or whether it would reveal some dirty secrets about Merkel and her cooperation with other politicians. It's exactly as I expected. This is partly a book explaining Merkel's actions, especially in major crises. Merkel writes at the very beginning of the book that this was her motivation. During the refugee crisis, she felt she could not leave what she had done to the interpretation of others, commented Andreas Rinke, Reuters correspondent in London.
Angela Merkel writes little about her Polish origins. However, he devotes a lot of space to Polish politicians. He writes about the gallant gestures of Lech Kaczyński and the “simple-minded and freedom-loving” Donald Tusk. Many fragments express admiration for the Polish fight for freedom.
“There were many problems, many crises, also in my time”
Germans are most interested in the behind-the-scenes of the 2015 refugee crisis and relations with Trump and Putin, whom the former chancellor calls a “political gangster.”
– What I found most interesting and surprising was the connection she believed existed between the pandemic and the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Merkel wrote that due to the coronavirus, direct contact with Putin was not possible, that Putin was allowed to go away, that he did not meet with any Western politicians because he was very afraid that he might get infected, Andreas Rinke pointed out.
Angela Merkel has to face accusations that she shares many details too early, because she left politics only three years ago.
– This book is not intended to create the impression that after leaving politics I left Germany in perfect condition. There were many problems, many crises, including in my time, admitted Angela Merkel.
The book's publisher admits that it was deliberately released in bookstores before Christmas, so that as many readers as possible would buy it. “Freedom” premieres simultaneously in 30 countries.
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Main photo source: Reuters