Angela Merkel is a known name of a woman that has been at the forefront of European politics for the better part of the 21st century. In her memoirs, co-written with her long-standing political advisor Beate Baumann, covering a total of 67 years, she goes into details about major political events, such as the reunification of Germany. This piece gives insight in the mindset of one of the most significant political figures, explaining the way that some events were handled. To quote Angela Merkel herself: “What does freedom mean to me? This question has occupied me my entire life. Naturally, politically, because freedom needs democratic conditions, without democracy there is no freedom, no rule of law, no protection of human rights. But this question also occupies me on another level. Freedom, for me, is finding out where my own limits are, and pushing my own limits. Freedom is for me not to stop learning, not to have to stand still but to be allowed to continue, even after leaving politics.”
