She impressed Germans and foreigners alike with her ascent to power – an East German pastor's daughter who took control of the male-dominated conservative party and won elections in Europe's economic powerhouse, becoming Germany's first female chancellor in 2005.
She was lauded for hosting the world's top leaders at the G-8 summit in Heiligendamm in 2007 with ease and professionalism. She repaired relations with the United States that were strained over the Iraq war, and she positioned herself as a political heavyweight on the continent. It seemed that no major political and economic decision could be made in Europe without Merkel's approval.
But over the last few months, the German chancellor's handling of Europe's economic crisis has made her widely disliked at home and increasingly isolated and even reviled abroad.
On the international stage, Merkel, 55, has been criticized for dragging her feet for months over a bailout package for Greece and being too focused on German national interests.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/29/merkel-goes-from-glories-_n_594425.htmlGood. I never liked her. She should resign.