15 years of Merkel: After a decade-and-a-half as German chancellor, Angela Merkel is leaving quite a legacy

Angela Merkel is seemingly a rare thing in the world of global politics. After more than 15 years as chancellor of Germany she's stepping aside, with 84% of German adults recently polled believing she's doing a good job — near an all time high for her tenure.

Behind her she leaves a legacy of stability and quiet competence having guided Germany through a global financial crisis, a Eurozone debt crisis, a refugee crisis and COVID-19, as well as countless domestic issues.

‍The most boring election ever?

‍Merkel doesn't dazzle with romantic or lofty language, something that the two men who are vying to become her successor have in common with her. In fact the upcoming election in Germany has been so dry that a German magazine asked if it might be "the most boring election ever" in a recent headline — not something newspapers in the US or UK are used to writing.

So obsessed with trying to occupy the political space once held by Merkel the SPD candidate recently ran an advert that read "Er kann Kanzlerin” — using the female word for chancellor that would usually be used only for Merkel.