Angela Merkel, multimillionaire with the publication of memoirs

2024-11-26 09:51:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The former German chancellor, Angela Merkel, becomes a multimillionaire with the publication of her memoirs in her autobiography of about 730 pages.

Great interest as rarely for a German political book. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel's book with the title "Freedom. Memories 1954-2021" conquers not only the German book market, but also that of about 30 western and non-western countries such as China.

Former Chancellor Merkel's memoir has around 730 pages and covers the years 1954-2021, from her childhood and youth in the former German Democratic Republic, German reunification, to her political career in the Federal Republic of Germany until the end of her term. her 16-year-old as chancellor in the fall of 2021. The book is also published as an audiobook. The 70-year-old Merkel will also tour major European cities to present her book.

On December 2, Merkel will present her book in Washington in the presence of former American President Barack Obama.

From some fragments already published from the book in some German media as well as from some interviews given by the former chancellor Merkel, it is known that in her memoirs she also deals with current and debatable political issues. She tells, for example, about her experience with the American president Donald Trump (2017-2021), the dominance of men in German politics, the acceptance of refugees in Germany, which caused and continues to cause great debates in Germany, her policy towards Russia and Ukraine, as well as her view of Vladimir Putin.

Merkel, Putin and his dog Koni

Pictures of Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin and his labrador dog, Coni, became famous around the world. Because when the German chancellor was visiting the Russian president in Sochi in 2007, Putin allowed his dog to approach the chancellor, even though he knew Angela Merkel had a phobia of dogs. Referring to this meeting in her book, Merkel describes Putin as "someone who is always on the lookout for any sign that someone is disrespecting him, but who on the other hand is always ready to disrespect others, such as the game of force with the dog or making everyone wait for him."

Double digit royalty in millions

As is common with such books, it is not publicly known what the former chancellor's fee will be. Some media in Germany have speculated in recent days about this royalty. The "Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger" newspaper wrote, without citing specific sources, that it is an "extraordinary double-digit number in the millions". And the newspaper "Tagesspiegel" mentioned an amount of 12 million euros. No one doubts that the former chancellor Merkel will make this money into grapes and plums. During an interview for "Spiegel" magazine, the former chancellor responded to the journalists' question about her plans as a "future multimillionaire" by referring to the powerful foundation of the former American president, Barack Obama, hinting that she too could to establish a foundation. "I can't do as big a thing as Obama. But we'll see," she said. A foundation of hers would have the advantage that former chancellor Merkel would not depend now or later on the apparatus of the CDU party or her commitment to foundations, preserving her independence even in her political legacy./ DW