Goodbye, Mutti! Iconic Moments of Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel occupied the post of chancellor in 2005, becoming the first woman to lead the German government. During her four terms, Merkel has faced tough challenges, including a global recession, influx of migrants on the EU's borders, and, finally, the coronavirus pandemic.

Sputnik has selected the best photos of the outgoing chancellor, showing the most remarkable moments of Merkel's long and eventful political life.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel celebrates a goal, scored by Philip Lahm during a Euro 2012 match between Germany and Greece at Stadion Gdansk. 22 June 2012.

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Pictures of German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressing the nation on New Year's from 2005-2020.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Queen Elizabeth II attending an exhibition at the Technische Universitaet (Technical University of Berlin). 24 June 2015.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila, and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini pose for a photo in Brussels, at a EU summit on Brexit. 22 March 2019.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks with US President Barack Obama during a G7 summit.

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Angela Merkel, then from the Federal Ministry of the Environment climbs into a gondola car to travel down the 650-metre deep Gorleben Gorleben salt dome. 23 March 1995.

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Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Moroccan Prince Moulay Hassan, Moroccan King Mohammed VI, US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, his wife Brigitte Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and General Peter Cosgrove participating in a WWI commemoration ceremony in Paris. 11 November 2018.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel greets US President Barack Obama at the Herrenhausen Palace in Hannover, Germany. 24 April 2016.

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US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel chatting during a G20 summit in Hamburg. 7 July 2017.

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Angela Merkel and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the opening of the Turkish-German University campus in Istanbul. 24 January 2020.

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French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi during a press conference in Paris. 4 October 2008

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A collage shows German Chancellor Angela Merkel folding her hands in front of her jackets of various colours during public events. Pictures taken from August 2004 to September 2021.

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"Portrait of Angela Merkel" by Colin Davidson at the London Art Fair. 19 January 2016.