I truly enjoyed Professor Yoder’s lecture on Chancellor Angela Merkel and her political style in comparison to her predecessors. It was fascinating to note all of the significant differences between Germany’s political discourse and ours here in the United States. For starters, I loved that Germany refers to their political leader as ‘Chancellor’; it immediately jogged my memory and made me think of Star Wars and a main character, Chancellor Palpatine. Most countries defer to the usual ‘President’ or ‘Prime Minister’ title, yet Germany maintains a unique identity by sticking to ‘Chancellor’. Another difference is that the Chancellor can serve for an unlimited terms. I did not realize that Merkel has been serving in office since early 2005; she recently announced that this could be her last term in office, yet many believe, and hope, that she will run for reelection at least one more time. It is interesting to note this method of federal politics in relation to our own; in our most recent election, millions of Americans would have prefered that President Obama run for a third term. However, given our limitations on executive power, no man or woman can run more than twice. Consequently, we were left with two less than optimal choices, and Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States. I now know that this would never happen in Germany. Professor Yoder expressed during the question and answer session how Chancellor Merkel thought that she would only serve three terms; however, she re-entered herself because of the threat of right wing populism, as well as the rise of Donald Trump in the East. And so, the Chancellor ensured that the political future of Germany did not rest in the hands of anyone but her own. She has the freedom and ability to do so, which is a glorious example of Germany’s political discourse.
Another portion of the lecture that captured my mind was Professor Yoder’s analysis of Chancellor Merkel’s public speeches. Professor Yoder began by highlighting the fact that since 2005, 67% of Chancellor Merkel’s public speeches contained/referenced moments from Germany’s past. Thirty-nine out of fifty-eight speeches invoked memories of the German past with 22 mentions of World War II and the Holocaust, and 21 references to the Berlin Wall and its’ unification. When it comes to Germany’s controversial past, Professor Yoder emphasized that Chancellor Merkel addresses it with a “never forget” mentality. Many of her speeches invoke emotion and prioritized moving on to a bigger and brighter future. That said, she constantly reminded the public of Germany’s past, and reiterated how important it is to always remember. Initially, I found this very bizarre and somewhat irresponsible. This was something that I would not expect; it was my inclination that leaders of Germany would want this history to disappear and never be heard of again. World War II brings about memories of destruction and levels of oppression that have yet to be surpassed. Logically, I felt that Germans would be embarrassed by their ancestors and their choices; I felt like Germans would stop at nothing to dispel this stain from its’ cherished history. Yet, because of Chancellor Merkel’s governance, Germany has been able to make tremendous strides. She has invoked a ‘welcoming culture’ and ensures that Germany maintains its’ responsibility as a powerful nation in Europe’s community. Overall, I was fascinated with Professor Yoder’s talk on Chancellor Merkel. I truly knew close to nothing in terms of Germany’s political discourse, let alone Chancellor Merkel’s. I was able to take away a great deal and am looking forward to all of the lectures to come.