German Chancellor Angela Merkel has implored Germans to proactively defend values she said were required for democracy and freedom. Merkel set the tone for the election year in the face of growing populism.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/O. Dietze
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At a party conference in the western German city of Saarlouis, the chancellor said right-wing groups such as the anti-Islamization PEGIDA should not have any right to choose who would get to enjoy the benefit of belonging to Germany and who would be excluded from this privilege.
Distancing herself from PEGIDA followers without mentioning the name of the contentious movement in her speech, Merkel said: "All of us, we all are the people," referring to her opponents on the right who use the slogan "We Are the People."
PEGIDA has a strong following in eastern Germany. The slogan originated in protests across former East Germany in 1989 that swept away the communist regime.
Despite growing right-wing sympathies, Merkel's CDU party is leading in polls with 37 percent of the voteImage: picture-alliance/dpa/O. Dietze
Merkel the orator
Merkel also dusted off a historic political slogan - this time from the early days of postwar West Germany, stressing that "Prosperity for All" would be her campaign focus as Germany prepares to hold general elections later in the year.
In the 1950s, West Germany's first postwar economy minister, Ludwig Erhard, used the slogan to set the stage for a series of economic reforms. These led to what became known as the country's economic miracle.
"We want as many people as possible in Germany to have the possibility of a job with fair pay," Merkel said, adding that she also wanted companies to operate under conditions that would facilitate investing in Germany "and not somewhere else."
Not in touch
In her speech, the chancellor said human rights - such as freedom of speech, religion and expression - should never be taken for granted. Merkel said that these values weren't "gifts you don't have to work for."
Merkel added that, from time to time, people have to show initiative and prove that they will stand up for freedom if needed.
Her announcement, however, may have rung hollow with many voters, who say their main worry is to possible economic stagnation, dwelling on the negative impact that globalization could have on them.
The many faces of Angela Merkel
Rarely a day goes by without new images of Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel being published. Her official face is often serious, her governing style cautious. But some images show there is more to Merkel.
Image: dapd
The 'Merkel diamond'
Merkel has become known for using the same hand gesture at public appearances and in front of the camera, putting her fingertips together to form what some call the Merkel-rhombus – or in German, the "Merkel-Raute." If she has done so consciously or as a routine gesture out of habit is a question that have contemporary critics and journalists puzzled. Just what is she trying to say with it?
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Michael Kappeler
A European politician
The German chancellor is known for her commanding and engaged appearance, often appearing quite somber, especially in Europe. Though she has been known to crack a smile at the right time, here, at the recent European leaders summit in Bratislava, she was more composed. To her left is Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke and to her right, the Prime Minster of Belgium, Charles Michel.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/O. Hoslet
Selfie with the chancellor
Merkel has come into the spotlight for her response to last year's influx of refugees.. Questions about her response to the crisis can be answered when elements of her personal life are considered, as Rinke does in his book. She frequently visits schools and refugee shelters and while doing so, takes time out for selfies, as here in 2015 with Syrian asylum applicant Anas Modamani in Berlin.
Image: Getty Images/S. Gallup
A juggler in the coalition
As chancellor and head of the CDU party, Merkel faces a bit of difficulty in remaining considerate with some of her working partners. She does not respond with the huffiness her SPD party colleague Sigmar Gabriel is known for. Against attacks by the head of CSU Bavaria, the "archetypical Bavarian man," Horst Seehofer, she responds with cool objectivity.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Kumm
Curious about the digital age
For trained physicist Angela Merkel, the world of the internet and digital media is said to be relatively foreign, although her team does now have an Instagram account, which is fed by her official photographer. Still, that didn't stop her from grabbing the ear of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at a lunch meeting at the UN in 2015.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
The preacher's daughter
The daughter of a Protestant minister, Merkel's values are said by Rinke to have been shaped by her Christian upbringing. In 2016, she was given a private audience with Pope Francis I at the Vatican, where the two exchanged words on their favorite books.
Image: Reuters/A. Pizzoli
A toast to friendly political relations
Merkel is not known to let it all hang out and, though rare due to her full schedule, celebrations are done in style. In 2013, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Élysee agreement between Germany and France, Merkel invited the entire parliament to toast the two countries' friendly relations over champagne.
Image: AP
A private chancellor
The chancellor gets only a few free vacation moments each year and even when on holiday, as here in Poland, she is not free from the prying eyes of the public. Her husband, Joachim Sauer, also pictured here, is rarely in the spotlight.