The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel

The Berlin Wall divided East and West Germany and East and West Berlin. It was erected in 1961, and it was taken down in 1989, at the end of the Cold War. The fall of the wall propelled Merkel into the political arena, shaping her commitment to democratic values and European unity.

Brexit refers to the exit of the United Kingdom from the EU following a referendum in 2016. The exit finally took place in 2020. For Angela Merkel, whose efforts for a united EU are emphasized in The Chancellor, Brexit came as a major challenge. Brexit also embodied the tensions and uncertainties facing the European project, testing Merkel’s policies.

The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) is the central pillar of Angela Merkel’s political career and governance. The CDU is Germany’s leading conservative party, currently headed by Friedrich Merz. In the past, it was chaired by Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel. The CDU provided the foundation for Merkel’s policies and her approach to leadership, emphasizing stability, economic growth, and European integration.

The Christian Social Union (CSU) is the main political ally of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The CSU played a critical role in shaping and supporting the coalition governments formed by Angela Merkel. The CSU and CDU form a conservative, center-right block. The CSU is a regional party and operates only in Bavaria.

Cyber warfare refers to hostile actions undertaken by states, organizations, and individuals against national computer and security networks. In The Chancellor, Kati Marton discusses Russia’s strategy of cyber warfare against the US and Europe. While Merkel is aware that Vladimir Putin is employing such tactics, she nevertheless negotiates with him, which Marton regards as ultimately backfiring.

The Group of 7 (G7) is a group of seven influential countries formed by Italy, Germany, Canada, the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The EU is a non-counted member. The G7 summit in 2018 brought together Donald Trump with the rest of the members of the group, which resulted in tensions and frozen communication, as the leader of the US expressed hostility toward the other members.

The Committee for State Security (KGB) was the Soviet Union’s security agency. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was succeeded by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB). In The Chancellor, the KGB is a shadowy force representing the pervasive surveillance and control in East Germany during Angela Merkel’s youth. Vladimir Putin served as a KGB lieutenant while he was deployed in East Germany.