Summary
In her memoir Freedom, Angela Merkel reflects on her misjudgment of Donald Trump, initially treating him as “completely normal” before realizing his emotional nature and authoritarian inclinations.
She recounts his attempts to humiliate her, his zero-sum worldview, and fascination with autocratic leaders like Vladimir Putin.
Merkel also critiques Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and his hostility toward Germany.
Addressing her legacy, she discusses tensions with Putin over NATO and acknowledges criticism of her reliance on Russian gas and liberal refugee policies.
She deserves the criticism, in 16 years she managed to pause time in Germany which is impressive but also created this illusion that that country can forever remain stuck in the 80s and everything will be fine by just doing things the way they have always been done.
That and maintaining the dependence on dictatorships for their energy infrastructure. And the absolutely vindictive policies against Greece which fucked the country badly.
She deserves respect for opening the borders to refugees, I applaud her for that and I wish there would have been more courageous politicians like her, but that doesn’t mean as a politician she was good for Europe in general.