Angela Merkel

Angela Dorothea Merkel (born July 17, 1954) is a German former politician and scientist. She served as the chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. Merkel was a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and previously held positions as Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2005 and Leader of the Christian Democratic Union from 2000 to 2018. She was the first female chancellor of Germany and was often referred to as the de facto leader of the European Union (EU) and the most powerful woman in the world. Merkel was born in Hamburg and later moved to East Germany. She obtained a doctorate in quantum chemistry in 1986 and worked as a research scientist before entering politics.