Angela Merkel has been head of German Government since 2005, when she was elected by the Bundestag into office. Her most recent, fourth cabinet was formed with the votes of CDU/CSU and SPD, a so-called grand coalition.
A brief overview on her:
Merkel entered politics shortly after the Berlin Wall fell, joining a local political party that later united with the CDU. She stood for election in her constituency shortly after reunification of former East Germany with West Germany, becoming a member of Bundestag, a position she’s held since 1991. In the CDU and parliament she was quickly recognised for her competency and appointed Minister for Women and Youth by Helmut Kohl, later promoted to Minister for the Environment and Nuclear Safety.
With the defeat of the CDU federal elections in 1998 Merkel became secretary-general in her party, a prominent and powerful position. She was elected party leader of the CDU in 2000, after her patron (and also former party leader) Kohl and his chosen successor in the CDU tripped over a party funding scandal. She didn’t become contender for chancellor for the following election because of party politics, but ran in 2005, when she won a hair’s breadth victory.
She’s now the third longest running chancellor, and will be the second longest if her cabinet lasts till the end of the current Bundestag.
Given the recent controversies and the rise of populist right-wing party AfD that isn’t a given, though. If there was a federal election, the AfD would be the second strongest party after CDU/CSU, and a grand coalition would both look decidedly different than now and still result in only a minority government.
Thus we ask: Will the next cabinet be headed by Angela Merkel?