The Most Powerful Woman in The World
Angela Merkel at the age of 54 is the youngest German leader since Second World War and the only woman to lead Europe’s largest economy since Germany became a nation state in 1871. Forbes Magazine considers her the most powerful woman in the World.
She became the second woman after Margaret Thatcher to chair a G8 summit. Merkel was elected to Parliament from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a state in the former East Germany. She has been Secretary General since 1998 and the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union CDU since 9 April 2000. In 2005 she won the election and assumed office in November of that year.
Merkel a scientist turned politician, has been impressing World leaders from George W. Bush to Tony Blair. Her first foreign trip was to Paris where she met with the French President Jacques Chirac. She travelled to Brussels to meet the Secretary General of NATO and to London for a meeting with Tony Blair.
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Pursuing her stated objectives to reduce unemployment and improving the sagging economy, she has often been compared to Margaret Thatcher, who was a chemist turned politician. The Iron Lady of Germany is the Iron Frau. Political commentators have debated the precise extent to which their agendas are similar.
After 100 days in office, she had the highest approval rating among Germans ever recorded for a Chancellor since 1949. Consumer confidence and market spending have increased and her economic reforms seem to take effect.
The world’s third-biggest economy, stagnant for five years, grew by 2% in 2006 and Merkel is still ploughing ahead with her economic restructuring plan, even pushing through a dreaded value-added tax increase. "People saw the VAT increase as economic suicide, but the moment the decision was made, there were enormous spikes in consumer confidence," says Timothy Jones, European analyst at Medley Global Advisors, a political and economic advisory firm.
And behind the scenes, Merkel has been making a big push to ramp up U.S. investment in Germany. Merkel travelled to the U.S. without fanfare, declining media interviews, to meet in closed-door sessions with U.S. industry leaders, including Coca-Cola chief , General Electric's and Goldman Sachs' then-chair Henry Paulson. According to Merkel's right-hand man, Ulrich Wilhelm, Merkel used the meetings to promote the research and high-tech skills in Bavaria as on par with Silicon Valley, in addition to showcasing other potential markets in Germany.
What Merkel is keyed into here is an understanding of how vital America is to Germany's economy--and vice versa. According to government statistics, total trade between the U.S. and Germany exceeds $100 billion per year. America is Germany's second-largest trading partner, and Germany is America's fifth-largest. At nearly $200 billion, German investment in the U.S. alone comprises about a quarter of all German investment overseas. America has about $100 billion invested in Germany, equal to 15% of the total U.S. foreign direct investment globally. And as of 2002, some 3,400 German companies accounted for nearly 800,000 jobs in the U.S. At the same time, nearly 1,400 U.S. companies generated 475,000 jobs in Germany, a quarter of all jobs provided by foreign companies in the country.
Merkel's key strength: unassuming and tireless networking. Merkel "sees her role to be a broker," says Jones of Medley Global Advisors.
Merkel's subtle arm-twisting is working. Germany's stagnant economy is now showing signs of revival. Merkel was the driving force behind the compromise between the U.K. and France on the European Union budget fight last December.
.In addition, Merkel allied Germany with the U.S. to oppose Iran's nuclear activities, and she was vocal on energy security at the G8 summit meeting this summer, where she was the only female leader at the table.
Merkel's scientific training (she was a physicist) also comes in handy.
"She is focused on technology, innovation and competition," interests that by their very nature often necessitate collaboration, says Dr. Norbert Walter, chief economist of Deutsche Bank Group. Walter adds Merkel "is not interested in defending typical vested interest groups."
Holding the third highest State Office in the Federal Republic of Germany, Angela Merkel receives less than EUR 20,000 per month as chancellor and additional EUR 7,000 for being a member of parliament, a total of EUR 27,000, the equivalent of MK 550,000 an amount similar to a Minister of Government in Malawi. The per capita income of Germans is approximately 150 times that of Malawians.
Want to Go to The UK?
Ask Ellen
Ellen qualified as a Barrister from Nottingham Trent Law School in August 2002. She was called to the Bar of England and Wales later that year, by the Honorable Society of the Middle Temple, where she is a Blackstone Entrance Exhibitioner Scholarship recipient.
Although her areas of specialisation at the Bar were Commercial and Employment practice, Ellen’s post qualifying exposure to Immigration, Human Rights, Education, and Welfare proceedings with cultural dimensions, caused a mind shift in her goal to specialise in the public law domain. In pursuit of this, Ellen went on to obtain specialist qualifications in UK Immigration and Nationality Law, from Transatlantic College, in London.
It is from this institution that Ellen was awarded a Diploma in Immigration and Nationality Law in February 2006, and a Certificate in Immigration Appeals and Practice in April 2006.
Ellen is the Director of Migrant Support, a community interest enterprise, which caters for migrants by offering education, advice and referrals to appropriate organisations. She recently qualified from the Nottingham Entrepreneurship Scholarship Programme, where her businesses plan to set up an advisory and signposting firm for migrants was approved.
Ellen is currently undertaking the last half of a Masters degree in Human Rights Law at Leicester University.
Ellen is the vice secretary, trustee and executive board member of the Malawi Association- Midlands. She is Panel member of the European Union Social Fund- Catalyst & Tiger Projects which provide small grants to grassroot projects in Nottingham. She believes in the affirmations that “A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at her” and that “She can do all things through Christ, who strengthens her”.
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… or “WHY DID I NOT THINK OF IT?’
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Take Ingvar Kamprad of Sweden who peddled matches, fish, pens, christmas cards and other items by bicycle as a teenager. He started selling furniture in 1947. Now his company IKEA, which sells hip designs for the cost conscious, is one of the most beloved retailers in the world from Sunrise, Florida, to Guangzhou in China.
Or Howard Schultz who was rejected by Starbucks, the world’s biggest coffee chain and who now owns it.
There is Jeffrey Bezzos who decided to sell books on the internet and created the largest book selling business: Amazon.
Sheldon Adelson was the son of a taxi driver. He borrowed $ 200 from his uncle to sell newspapers. He is now a hotel magnate and the 12th richest man in the World.
But also here in Malawi you have examples how enterprising people make it big.
Mike Chilewe borrowed some welding equipment because he could not afford one as a meter reader for ESCOM. Now, some twelve years later he owns and runs the highly successful ‘Mike’s Trading” company in Blantyre, which built storage facilities for Illovo and supplies other well-known organisations with steel manufactured products.
Mulli Brothers are icons in Malawian business, helping to empower would be entrepreneurs.