Editing Angela Merkel (section)

=== International perceptions ===
[[File:Angela Merkel tenure graphic.svg|thumb|Angela Merkel's tenure as Chancellor compared to heads of government in the EU and UK]]
Merkel was widely described as the ''de facto'' leader of the [[European Union]] throughout her tenure as Chancellor. She was named [[Forbes list of The World's Most Powerful People|the world's second most powerful person]] by ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine in 2012 and 2015, following [[Barack Obama]] and [[Vladimir Putin]] respectively, the highest ranking ever achieved by a woman.<ref>{{cite news |last=Balasubramanyam |first=Ranjitha |date=16 September 2013 |title=All Eyes on Berlin |newspaper=Foreign Policy Journal |url=http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2013/09/16/all-eyes-on-berlin/ |url-status=live |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512173724/https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2013/09/16/all-eyes-on-berlin/ |archive-date=12 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wagele |first=Elizabeth |author-link=Elizabeth Wagele |date=16 July 2012 |title=What Personality Type is Angela Merkel? |newspaper=[[Psychology Today]] |url=http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-career-within-you/201207/what-personality-type-is-angela-merkel |url-status=live |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528171440/https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-career-within-you/201207/what-personality-type-is-angela-merkel |archive-date=28 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=24 August 2011 |title=Angela Merkel 'world's most powerful woman' |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/8720698/Angela-Merkel-worlds-most-powerful-woman.html |url-status=live |access-date=18 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615221430/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/8720698/Angela-Merkel-worlds-most-powerful-woman.html |archive-date=15 June 2018}}</ref> On 26 March 2014, Merkel became the longest-serving incumbent [[head of government]] in the [[European Union]]. In December 2015, Merkel was named as ''Time'' magazine's [[Time Person of the Year|Person of the Year]], with the magazine's cover declaring her to be the "Chancellor of the Free World".<ref>{{cite news |last=Gibbs |first=Nancy |date=9 December 2015 |title=Why Angela Merkel is TIME's Person of the Year |url=https://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2015-angela-merkel-choice/ |url-status=live |access-date=9 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714205632/http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2015-angela-merkel-choice/ |archive-date=14 July 2018}}</ref> In 2018, Merkel was named the [[Forbes list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women|most powerful woman]] in the world for a record fourteenth time by ''Forbes''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Angela Merkel |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/angela-merkel/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525025708/https://www.forbes.com/profile/angela-merkel/ |archive-date=25 May 2019}}</ref> Following the election of [[Donald Trump]] to the US presidency in 2016, Merkel was described by ''[[The New York Times]]'' as "the Liberal West's Last Defender",<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smale |first1=Alison |last2=Erlanger |first2=Steven |date=12 November 2016 |title=As Obama Exits World Stage, Angela Merkel May Be the Liberal West's Last Defender |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/world/europe/germany-merkel-trump-election.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527052702/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/world/europe/germany-merkel-trump-election.html |archive-date=27 May 2019 |access-date=24 February 2017 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> and as the "[[leader of the free world]]" by a number of commentators, including Hillary Clinton.<ref name="Clarke-2018">{{cite news |last=Clarke |first=Hilary |date=30 October 2018 |title=For years, Angela Merkel saw off all challengers. Now, she's preparing to step aside |publisher=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/29/europe/merkel-career-intl/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=30 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230081346/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/29/europe/merkel-career-intl/index.html |archive-date=30 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="Moulson-2018">{{cite web |last1=Moulson |first1=Geir |last2=Rising |first2=David |date=29 October 2018 |title=Merkel won't seek a 5th term as German chancellor |url=https://apnews.com/5a61606ff1f84923b0ebed4015f62550 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130172225/https://gum.criteo.com/syncframe?topUrl=apnews.com |archive-date=30 November 2021 |access-date=30 December 2018 |website=AP NEWS}}</ref><ref name="politicomeet">{{Cite web |date=17 March 2017 |title=The leader of the free world meets Donald Trump |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/the-leader-of-the-free-world-angela-merkel-meets-donald-trump/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220030604/https://www.politico.eu/article/the-leader-of-the-free-world-angela-merkel-meets-donald-trump/ |archive-date=20 February 2022 |access-date=10 February 2022 |website=POLITICO |language=en-US}}</ref> In a 2018 survey, Merkel was found to be the most widely respected world leader.<ref name="Deutsche Welle-2018">{{cite web |date=2 October 2018 |title=World prefers Angela Merkel to Donald Trump: Pew study |url=https://www.dw.com/en/world-prefers-angela-merkel-to-donald-trump-pew-study/a-45722124 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527005603/https://www.dw.com/en/world-prefers-angela-merkel-to-donald-trump-pew-study/a-45722124 |archive-date=27 May 2021 |access-date=18 May 2021 |publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]]}}</ref> ''[[The Atlantic]]'' described her in 2019 as "the world's most successful living politician, on the basis of both achievement and longevity".<ref>{{cite web |last=Marton |first=Kati |date=19 May 2019 |title=The Merkel Model |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/how-angela-merkel-keeps-power-mans-world/589675/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520183452/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/how-angela-merkel-keeps-power-mans-world/589675/ |archive-date=20 May 2019 |access-date=21 May 2019 |website=The Atlantic}}</ref> Harvard University President [[Larry Bacow]] described her as "one of the most widely admired and broadly influential statespeople of our time".<ref>{{cite web |date=7 December 2018 |title=Angela Merkel named Harvard Commencement speaker |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/12/angela-merkel-named-harvard-commencement-speaker/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527202744/https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/12/angela-merkel-named-harvard-commencement-speaker/ |archive-date=27 May 2019 |access-date=27 May 2019 |website=news.harvard.edu}}</ref>

Critics have argued that Merkel's policymaking during the 2015 migrant crisis has damaged the integrity of the EU.<ref name="POLITICO-2018" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Angela Merkel's historic error on immigration |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/angela-merkel/12193876/Angela-Merkels-historic-error-on-immigration.html |access-date=29 June 2023 |website=www.telegraph.co.uk|date=15 March 2016 |archive-date=15 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315234021/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/angela-merkel/12193876/Angela-Merkels-historic-error-on-immigration.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The Irish Times" /> Some have also commented that Germany's failure to meet financial commitments to [[NATO]],<ref name="The Washington Times" /> Merkel's blocking of the accession of Ukraine to NATO in 2008,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Oltermann |first=Philip |date=7 June 2022 |title=No regrets over handling of Vladimir Putin, says Angela Merkel |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/07/no-regrets-over-handling-of-vladimir-putin-says-angela-merkel |access-date=29 June 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=7 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220607215627/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/07/no-regrets-over-handling-of-vladimir-putin-says-angela-merkel |url-status=live}}</ref> and the abolishment of conscription have together weakened the positions of Germany and Europe following the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]].

In 2023, Merkel received a [[Honorary degree|doctorate honoris causa]] from the [[Sciences Po|Paris Institute of Political Sciences]] in recognition of her political career.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Angela Merkel décorée du grade de docteure honoris causa par Sciences Po |url=https://lepetitjournal.com/berlin/actualites/angela-merkel-decoree-docteure-honoris-causa-sciences-po-364392 |access-date=1 July 2023 |website=lepetitjournal.com |language=fr |archive-date=28 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628113909/https://lepetitjournal.com/berlin/actualites/angela-merkel-decoree-docteure-honoris-causa-sciences-po-364392 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=28 June 2023 |title=Europe : Angela Merkel à l'honneur à Sciences Po Paris |language=fr |work=La Croix |url=https://www.la-croix.com/Monde/Europe-Angela-Merkel-lhonneur-Sciences-Po-Paris-2023-06-28-1201273395 |access-date=1 July 2023 |issn=0242-6056 |archive-date=28 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628174207/https://www.la-croix.com/Monde/Europe-Angela-Merkel-lhonneur-Sciences-Po-Paris-2023-06-28-1201273395 |url-status=live}}</ref>