Former chancellor Merkel urges Germans to be fair to government

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel has called on Germans to make a fair assessment of the achievements of the current government.

"Every citizen should try to assess what the government has already achieved with moderation and balance - these were always my favourite words," Merkel told the Focus news magazine in remarks published on Thursday. "It's not the case that nothing at all has happened."

Merkel, chancellor from 2005 to 2021, did not express an opinion on current policies pursued by the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, but instead wished it success. Both are members of the Christian Democratic Union.

Merkel said she had the impression that "all those involved are aware of their incredible responsibility."

The current coalition, which draws in the centre-left Social Democrats, was working "under truly difficult external conditions," Merkel said, pointing to the wars in Ukraine and Iran. "These are great challenges," she said.

The former chancellor defended her governments' economic policy, noting that "crazy debts" had been taken on during the 2008 financial crisis, but that this had been followed by solid budgets.

If her governments had not run the German economy as well as they did, investments today in infrastructure and defence would not have been possible, Merkel said.

The policy of the "debt brake" she introduced had been correct, Merkel said. Merz, whose government took office a year ago, has eased its conditions in relation to defence expenditure.

Turning to relations with the United States under President Donald Trump, Merkel called for common interests to be highlighted and otherwise for "acting without fear."

Referring to her own contacts with Trump during his first term in office, she said she had not been under any illusions when things went well and had not sought to be particularly liked nor to be particularly provocative.

Merkel cautioned against underestimating Trump. "Anyone who has arrived in positions like this has an incredible amount of power. And for that reason, you have to take that very, very seriously," she said.