During the Q & A portion of Jennifer Yoder’s lecture, one student suggested that some Germans might see Merkel as an undesirable leader because her actions do not “take pride” in her nation, instead focusing on apology and reconciliation. Indeed, Merkel’s emphasis on the importance of responsibility for Germany’s past actions connotes an atmosphere of “shame,” to use a word from one of Merkel’s own speeches. Merkel approaches the past and present of Germany in a fairly head-on manner, so she constantly acknowledges the modern frame of German history, mentioning or discussing the German past in 67% of her recorded speeches. But this student’s question brings up two questions of my own. Firstly, is patriotism really a necessary or good quality in a leader? And secondly, do Merkel’s actions and speeches really make her “unpatriotic”?
As a part of her response to the past, one of Merkel’s main themes in her actions is her contributions to humanitarian efforts. Her quick decision to open Germany to refugees, which many people thought was abrupt and unexpected of her, exemplifies this commitment to global humanity. Merkel stresses the importance of standing up in solidarity, as opposed to succumbing to “narrow-minded” nationalism. This would suggest that Merkel rejects a focus on Germany within itself, and instead wants to focus on Germany as a part of the larger international community. Her humanitarian decisions point to her dedication to help Germany and the rest of the world simultaneously. Merkel’s viewpoint on Germany’s place in the world does not necessarily always place Germany first on her list of priorities, but it does place humanity as a top priority. That seems like a pretty good value for a leader to have, so it could be argued that absolute patriotism is not necessary for a good leader to make good decisions.
However, it is still in question if Merkel is actually “unpatriotic.” While of course Merkel spends a great deal of time remembering and taking responsibility for the German past, her actions do not condemn Germans entirely. Merkel shocked many by making a memorial to ethnic Germans repulsed from other nations. This broke the taboo which German leaders had previously followed, that one could only speak of Germany’s victims, not of Germans as victims. She did not use this memorial as a way to pass blame or distance the current political discourse from the dark frame of Germany’s actions, but used it to remember German victims who had been pushed to the wayside in the wake of modern German apology. In this instance Merkel stood up for the German people, even as she condemned the past German politics.
I would argue that Merkel is patriotic in the way she takes pride in the future of Germany. Merkel focuses on memory politics and invoking the past as a way to promote what Germany could be. Her humanitarian efforts and decisive action against modern waves of Antisemitism paint a picture of how she is changing Germany’s image towards one that promotes solidarity. Her acknowledgement of Germany’s past is all in the hope of keeping that memory forever as an example of what not to do, and a list of problems Germany caused that Germans can now work to undo or counteract. That is the Germany Merkel sees, and she clearly takes pride in that future Germany.