The Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Großkreuz des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik in besonderer Ausführung) is the title of the award presented by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU ).
There are eight levels of the Order of Merit in Germany. Above the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit there is only a special degree of the Grand Cross. This distinction is automatically received by each Federal President upon taking office. In other cases, it is intended to be presented to heads of foreign states.
Every Federal Chancellor automatically receives a Verdienstorden before leaving office. The version that will be awarded to the politician is left to the discretion of the Federal President. The acting chancellor must affix the decision with his signature.
Steinmeier’s choice of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit is historic, as so far only two people have received this highest award, namely Konrad Adenauer, the first leader of post-war Germany. war, and Helmut Kohl, recognized as a key architect of Germany. reunification (both CDUs) .
Why is the former Chancellor being rewarded?
Merkel received the Federal Cross from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. In his half-hour speech, he called the ex-chancellor an “unprecedented politician” who successfully led Germany through difficult times, including the global financial crisis, the debt crisis of the Eurozone, the 2015 refugee crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Merkel also became the first woman to lead the German government, despite being from the former GDR. As a member of the group Demokratischer Aufbruch (“Democratic Awakening”), she already played a role in shaping the democratic transition in East Germany during the reunification period. As chancellor, she dealt with climate protection and the deepening of European unity.
Another notable fact: Angela Merkel, like the two other winners of the highest distinction, Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl, has been in power for an exceptionally long time. In 16 years at the head of the Federal Republic, she shaped an entire era.
The ex-Chancellor herself spoke at the ceremony for only five minutes, thanking for the invitation and the award, and also expressing her confidence that politics also has a bright side.
Is this reward justified?
Some members of the CDU/CSU alliance, represented by Merkel, disagreed with the decision to reward the former chancellor. Thus, the head of the CDU Commission on Core Values, Andreas Redder, said that he considered such a step to be a mistake. He criticized the policy of the ex-chancellor in the field of energy, migration and the rejection of nuclear energy.
Merkel’s longtime finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, also warned it was too early to judge whether she should be added to the list of “great” German chancellors.
SPD leader Saskia Esken thinks the price is right. The impetus for Merkel was “deep seriousness and a great sense of duty”, she stressed in an interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (rnd).
Merkel adequately represented Germany both domestically and abroad and weathered the many crises of her reign with great restraint. “Any hostility, often fueled by contempt and hatred of strong women, she calmly let go,” Esken says.
Why was the CDU leadership absent?
Angela Merkel invited 20 people to the solemn ceremony with dinner, including the current Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who worked as Minister of Finance in Mrs Merkel’s last cabinet, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who held various ministerial posts in the government of Angela Merkel. Guests also included family members and associates of the ex-chancellor, including former economy and energy minister Peter Altmaier and longtime German government official Steffen Seibert. Former national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann also received an invitation from football-loving Merkel. What was surprising was that none of the current CDU leaders were present at the dinner.
Current CDU leader Merz has been considered Merkel’s sworn enemy for many years. In 2002, after losing the fight for the presidency of the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction in the Bundestag, he retired from politics for many years and did not return to the Bundestag until 2021.
In January 2022, Merz was elected party leader of the CDU (after two unsuccessful attempts in previous years). Merkel did not join the party conference, which was held digitally due to the Corona pandemic. She also did not accept Merz’s invitation to have dinner with all the former CDU chairmen for “reasons related to her schedule.”
Relations between the two CDU politicians are probably damaged beyond repair. “We communicate intelligently with each other when we see each other. But that’s all. That’s all there should be,” Merz summed up in the ZDF program.
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