Angela Merkel, the chancellor who led Germany for 16 years, spoke in an interview with the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper, where she discusses her decisions during her term, the current geopolitical situation, and the challenges facing the world today - especially the conflict in the Middle East.
Merkel expressed clear support for Israel, emphasizing the state's right to self-defense in the face of existential threats from Hamas and Iran. "If some are allowed to declare that they want to eliminate the state of Israel, the state of Israel must be able to defend itself against that," she said.
However, she added that in light of recent developments, some of Israel's actions raise questions about their compatibility with international law. "If the existence of a country is called into question by Hamas or Iran, that is not so easy to answer on the basis of international law," Merkel said, reflecting on the legal and moral complexity of the situation.
The former chancellor said she had no regrets about no longer attending summits of heads of state and government. "I can roughly imagine how it goes, but there is no melancholy. If I had been removed from office after a single term, then I would have regretted not having experienced it enough. But 16 years as chancellor is a very long time," Merkel said.
She also commented on current Chancellor Friedrich Merz's participation in the G7 summit in Canada, calling it a special event for him. "Today, I just think it's a new experience for him," she added.
Merkel also touched on other current topics in the interview, including climate finance, the development of artificial intelligence, and the possibility of a female president in the future.
Since the publication of her autobiography last fall, Merkel has been more present on the public stage than one would expect from a former head of state. She has frequently commented on political developments in Germany, including her criticism of a European Union proposal for migration policy, which she said was approved in the Bundestag "with her eyes wide open" only thanks to the votes of the far-right AfD party - something she considered problematic./TCH/
t7 live
