Merkel’s memoirs are met with mixed reactions in Germany

The line stretched around the block. For two hours, a few people crowded together in the cold and in the light of the first Christmas decorations waited to enter the large Dussmann bookstore on Friedrichstrasse, one of Berlin’s main shopping streets. A man came out disappointed and held his blue copy in his hand: “She quickly scribbled something and didn’t even look at me!” In it, former Chancellor Angela Merkel signed the first copies of her memoirs, which were released on November 26th in Germany and around 30 other countries , including France, were published.

“Merkel is a part of my childhood,” said Nicolas, a 23-year-old political science student who was waiting in line. “People of my generation don’t like her, they say she hasn’t done anything for the climate, nothing for infrastructure, no reforms, that she actually has no vision. And that’s true. But when she ran it, there was a feeling of stability. “Even if it was just a feeling and not the truth.” A few steps away, a tourist smiled as he was photographed and showed off his signed copy. “Merkel is much more than politics, she is a cultural phenomenon,” joked Marc, another student who was watching the scene. “I am very critical, no one misses her, but I came here to observe the character,” he explained. Many admirers in line were full of nostalgia, associating the Merkel years with a time of prosperity – especially now that Germany is in trouble and the rest of the world isn’t doing much better. “We really miss her leadership style,” sighed a young woman. “If she were still here, she could have forged alliances to better deal with the war,” said a high school student who wanted a political future and came to the bookstore with his mother and brother. “Even if she had misjudged Putin, she would have done better than Scholz.”

The release of Merkel’s memoirs was organized like a rock star tour, with a limited number of sold-out events: public readings and live-streamed book signings in Berlin, Cologne and Stralsund – her former constituency – in Germany, as well as other European cities. TV appearances, podcasts and even a conversation with Barack Obama in Washington on December 2nd are also planned. The publisher has kept some secrets about the book and has not released information about print runs or royalties.

“No mistakes!”

The advertising campaign had the desired effect. On Tuesday, November 26th, over 600 people attended a public reading of Merkel’s memoirs at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, in front of which some anti-vaccination activists, cameras and paparazzi had also gathered. The former chancellor received a lot of applause, especially when she stated that she had not made any mistakes during her 16 years in office and that she had no regrets. Nobody? “No, you have to tell it like it is,” Merkel replied to the journalist who interviewed her on stage. “Do you ever take the train?” he asked, referring to the chronic delays of German trains due to a lack of investment, a criticism that dates back to Merkel’s time as Chancellor. “If it helps, you can say it’s Merkel’s fault, but I don’t think it helps the country,” Merkel replied, referring to herself in the third person. “Moreover, Merkel’s departure did not solve the problems.”

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