Overview: In 2005, Angela Merkel became Chancellor: the first woman to hold this office, the first East German and, at 51, also the youngest. Girl power!? Merkel's governing style: Moderate, pragmatic, just don't polarize. After Basta Chancellor Schröder, Merkel appears to many to be indecisive and hesitant. The diamond as a symbol of calm. Some people call her “mom” – and they don’t always mean that in a positive way. What does Merkel do with power and what does power do to her?