Merkel was born in Hamburg in then- West Germany, moving to East Germany as an infant when her father, a Lutheran clergyman, received a pastorate in Perleberg. During her tenure as Chancellor, Merkel has been frequently referred to as the de facto leader of the European Union and the most powerful woman in the world.
A member of the CDU, Merkel is the first female chancellor of Germany. She served as the leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2005 and as the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 2000 to 2018. German Academy of Sciences at Berlin ( PhD) Īngela Dorothea Merkel ( pronounced ( listen)) ( née Kasner born 17 July 1954) is a German politician serving as the chancellor of Germany since 2005.
