If Ms Merkel, 51, does become chancellor it would mark the pinnacle of a remarkable political career. After entering politics in 1990 she has risen through the CDU ranks despite opposition from traditionalists in the male-dominated party. In the 1990s she held ministerial portfolios for the family and the environment and became CDU leader in 2000. She would be Germany's first eastern German and first woman chancellor and the country's youngest post-war leader.
From Wikipedia:
Merkel supports a substantial reform agenda concerning Germany's economic and social system. Merkel is considered to be more pro-free market (and pro-deregulation) than her own party (the CDU); she has advocated changes to German labour law, specifically, removing barriers to firing employees and increasing the allowed number of work hours in a week, arguing that current laws make the country less competitive because companies cannot easily control labour costs at times when business is slow.
Merkel believes there should be a strong transatlantic partnership and German-American friendship. In the spring of 2003, defying strong public opposition, Merkel came out in favor of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, describing it as "unavoidable" and accusing Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of reactionary anti-Americanism. This led some critics to characterize her as an American lackey.
She opposes Turkish EU membership and favours a "privileged partnership", instead. In doing so, she is seen as being in unison with an overwhelming majority of Germans who reject Turkish membership in the European Union, particularly due to fears that large waves of immigration may impose an unbearable burden on Germany and that there would be too much Islamist influence within the EU.
She believes that the existing nuclear power stations should be phased out less quickly than advocated by the current government.
This is a good thing.
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