Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Germans to give an objective assessment of the achievements of the current government, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
“Every citizen should try to assess what the government has already achieved with moderation and balance, words that are my favorites“, Merkel told the magazine “Focus“ in a comment published today. “It is not true that absolutely nothing has been done.“
She said she felt that “all participants were aware of their enormous responsibility“.
She said the current coalition, which also includes the centre-left Social Democrats, was working “under really difficult external conditions”, citing the wars in Ukraine and Iran. "These are big challenges," she said.
The former chancellor defended her governments' economic policies, noting that "huge debts" were taken on during the 2008 financial crisis but that budgets were stable afterward.
Merkel said that if her governments had not managed the German economy as well as they had, today's investments in infrastructure and defense would not have been possible.
She stressed that her "debt brake" policy was the right one. Merz, whose government took office a year ago, has since eased its conditions on defense spending.
On the topic of relations with the United States under President Donald Trump, Merkel called for highlighting common interests and otherwise acting "without fear."
Speaking of her own contacts with Trump during his first term, she said she had no illusions when relations were going well, and she had neither sought special approval nor wanted to be unnecessarily provocative.
Merkel warned against underestimating Trump. "Anyone who has reached such a position has enormous power. And that is precisely why it must be taken very, very seriously," she said.