Editing Angela Merkel (section)

== 2022–present: Post-chancellorship ==
On 31 January 2022, less than two months after she left office, her long-time rival Friedrich Merz, who she beat in 2002 to become [[Leader of the Opposition (Germany)|leader of the opposition]], took over as [[Leader of the Christian Democratic Union|leader of the CDU]].<ref name=EcoFM>{{cite web|url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/01/22/friedrich-merz-takes-over-as-leader-of-germanys-christian-democrats|title=Friedrich Merz takes over as leader of Germany's Christian Democrats|publisher=The Economist|date=22 January 2022|archive-date=20 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120165451/https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/01/22/friedrich-merz-takes-over-as-leader-of-germanys-christian-democrats |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 25 February 2022, only 24 hours after the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] began, Merkel told the [[Deutsche Presse-Agentur|''DPA'']] that she "condemned in the strongest terms [...] the war of aggression led by Russia, which marks a profound break in the history of post-Cold War Europe."<ref name="Weider-2022">{{cite news |last1=Weider |first1=Thomas |date=2 June 2022 |title=Angela Merkel condemns 'the barbaric war of aggression waged by Russia,' without introspection |publisher=Le Monde |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2022/06/02/angela-merkel-condemns-the-barbaric-war-of-aggression-waged-by-russia-without-introspection_5985477_4.html |url-status=live |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610154538/https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2022/06/02/angela-merkel-condemns-the-barbaric-war-of-aggression-waged-by-russia-without-introspection_5985477_4.html |archive-date=10 June 2022}}</ref>

In April that year, a spokesperson for Merkel stated that she "stood by her position at the [[2008 Bucharest summit|NATO summit in Bucharest]] in 2008", when she had opposed Ukraine's membership in the [[North Atlantic Alliance]], a decision that had come under increased scrutiny.<ref name="Weider-2022" />

On 1 June 2022, Merkel made her first semi-public comments about political affairs since leaving office, at a retirement party for {{ill |Reiner Hoffmann |de |lt=Reiner Hoffmann|v=sup}}, the president of the [[German Trade Union Confederation]]. She criticised the "blatant violation of international law by Russia", expressed solidarity with Ukraine, and argued that "peace and freedom can never be taken for granted."<ref name="Weider-2022" />

On 7 June 2022, Merkel made her first public comments. In an interview with journalist {{ill |Alexander Osang |de |lt=Alexander Osang|v=sup}}, she defended her past decisions on [[Ukraine]] and called Putin's aggression,<ref name="Jackson-2022">{{cite news |last1=Jackson |first1=Patrick |date=8 June 2022 |title=Ukraine war: Angela Merkel defends her record on Putin |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61727450.amp |url-status=live |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609092137/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61727450.amp |archive-date=9 June 2022}}</ref>
{{blockquote |text=not just unacceptable, but also a major mistake from Russia... It's an objective breach of all international laws and of everything that allows us in Europe to live in peace at all. If we start going back through the centuries and arguing over which bit of territory should belong to whom, then we will only have war. That's not an option whatsoever.}}
She also said that by the end of her chancellorship in [[2021 German federal election|September 2021]], it had been clear that Putin was moving in the direction of conflict and that he was finished with the [[Normandy Format]] talks.<ref name="dwaml">{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Alistair |last2=Goldenberg |first2=Rina |date=7 June 2022 |title=Angela Merkel opens up on Ukraine, Putin and her legacy |publisher=Deutsche Welle |url=https://www.dw.com/en/angela-merkel-opens-up-on-ukraine-putin-and-her-legacy/a-62052345 |url-status=live |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611105226/https://www.dw.com/en/angela-merkel-opens-up-on-ukraine-putin-and-her-legacy/a-62052345 |archive-date=11 June 2022}}</ref>

Following her retirement, Merkel wrote a memoir called ''Freedom'' ({{langr|de|Freiheit}}), with her longtime assistant and adviser, Beate Baumann. It was released on 26 November 2024 with the title ''Freedom: Memories 1954–2021''. The book was published in 30 languages and consists of 736 pages.<ref>{{cite news |date=26 November 2024 |title=Angela Merkel defends open-door migrant policy, ties with Russia in new memoir |publisher=France 24 |url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20241126-angela-merkel-migrant-russia-memoir |access-date=30 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=1 December 2024 |title=Book excerpt: "Freedom: Memoirs 1954-2021" by Angela Merkel |publisher=CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/book-excerpt-freedom-memoirs-1954-2021-by-angela-merkel/ |access-date=30 January 2025}}</ref>

In January 2025, Merkel criticised Friedrich Merz for introducing a non-binding resolution supporting restrictions on immigration that passed in the Bundestag with the help of the [[AfD]].<ref>{{cite news |date=30 January 2025 |title=Merkel criticizes German front-runner Merz over migration vote with far-right support |publisher=AP News |url=https://apnews.com/article/germany-merkel-merz-migration-far-right-afd-66af2fc359ecb2d82cdaeca9e27e2fb0 |access-date=30 January 2025}}</ref> Following the CDU/CSU's victory in the [[2025 German federal election]], Merkel attended the first round of voting in the Bundestag to elect Merz as Chancellor on 6 May 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Germany's Merz becomes chancellor after surviving historic vote failure |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgp22zlrgko |access-date=7 May 2025 |website=BBC |language=en}}</ref>