Off-Topic: Happy Birthday, Angela

Today is the 60th birthday of Germany's leader, Angela Merkel. She's the humble Ossi who has become, thanks to German reunification, the most powerful woman on Earth. Her background is in science, not politics. After studying Physics she did a PhD in Quantum Chemistry, and she has published several papers on the subject. She entered politics shortly before reunification. She stood for election as the CDU candidate for Stralsund in 1990. After winning, Germany's leader Helmut Kohl recognised her capabilities and gave her a place in his cabinet. The CDU lost the election in 1998, and she was appointed party leader in 2000. In 2005 the CDU won the election again, and she has been Germany's leader ever since.

Angela is often compared to the UK's previous leader, Margaret Thatcher. Both of them are women, and both belong to centre-right parties, but that's where the similarity ends. Margaret Thatcher was someone who divided the UK into those who loved her and those who hated her; Angela Merkel does her best to unify the population and presents herself as the leader of the people, accessible to everyone, whatever their political persuasions. Despite her high intelligence, which is obvious in the way she speaks, she has become popular with the common man by her overt support of the German national football team, which won the World Cup this year. While cynics might think she was just looking for cheap publicity, in actual fact she's been a football fan all her life, and she enjoyed being photographed with her heroes. Angela is riding a wave of popularity which shows no sign of coming crashing down any time soon.