dChan - Q Origins Project Archive

Meet Merkel's 'girl camp': The secretive group of women keeping the German Chancellor in power

fter 12 years in office, she is regarded as “the most powerful woman in Europe”. And when Germany goes to the polls today, few would bet against Angela Merkel winning a fourth term as Chancellor.

Many credit her longevity to stability in a world that seems increasingly in turmoil. Others point to her willingness to go against her party; throwing open the country’s doors at the peak of the migrant crisis. Some believe her strength lies in her adaptability - swinging between hard politician and ‘Mutti, the matriarch of her nation.

But might there be another explanation?

Baumann has been called Merkel’s “shadow." But, make no mistake, she is every bit her equal

Whispers in the German media suggest that the secret to Merkel’s success is her “girl camp” - an entourage of right-hand women who have outsmarted the old boy’s network, and kept their boss in power through “mean girl” tactics. This secretive group - so private they are rarely photographed - are at the heart of Merkel’s government.

The best known is Beate Baumann. The 54-year-old Cambridge graduate is said to be the only person, other than her husband, Joachim Sauer, the Chancellor trusts unquestioningly.

“I need someone who can look after me”, Merkel is reported to have said in 1992, when she was appointed Women’s Minister in Helmut Kohl’s cabinet. Her staff of mostly male civil servants treated her with ill-disguised condescension.

She was introduced to Baumann and the two clicked instantly. It was the beginning of the strongest partnership in modern German history. Baumann became Merkel’s spokesperson, before being promoted to chief of staff in 1995.

https:// www.telegraph.co.uk/women/politics/meet-merkels-girl-camp-secretive-group-women-keeping-german/