Eurozone, refugee and Covid crises: Angela Merkel’s 16 years in power

Angela Merkel has done something rather rare in European politics these days.

She has gone at a time of her own choosing. She did so after governing Germany for 16 years.

In Britain, no prime minister has reigned this long since Pitt the Younger in 1801. Her secret to political longevity was to be always underestimated by her foes.

She was a master tactician, but did she have a strategic view for Germany’s role in the world stage and for the future of Europe?

Here’s a look at her life in three minutes.