Berlin (dpa) – Former US secretary of state and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has expressed her great respect for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, describing her as a “singular leader” who will “be missed”.
Clinton told journalists at the Berlin film festival, “I am an absolute admirer of her, of her political success, but more than that of her leadership”.
She said Merkel has been a steady voice not only for Germany but for Europe and “for the transatlantic alliance”.
“She has been in my perspective a successful leader for her country through some difficult ups and downs,” she said.
“I think she is a singular leader and I think she will be missed”, Clinton said, adding she has “no advice” for Merkel but that she has earned a very long vacation, after 16 years in Germany’s top political position.
Merkel has said she plans to retire after the next federal election in 2021, as race between members of her Christian Democrat Union party for her succession heats up.
The two women first met in 1993 and worked together periodically when Clinton was US Secretary of State.
Clinton is in Berlin for the premiere of the series “Hillary”, a four-part documentary by director Nanette Burstein.
The series paints a full portrait of the 72 year old’s life including her 2016 presidential campaign and features her husband, former US president Bill Clinton, speaking alongside friends and political allies.
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