Angela Merkel in the investigative committee: She quotes herself

Thursday afternoon, in the Paul Löbe House of the German Bundestag. No PR appearance today for the former Chancellor, who has just written a book, her memoirs. Angela Merkel has to testify that day before the Bundestag’s Afghanistan investigation committee.

CDU MP Thomas Röwekamp greets them with a wink: “In any case, I’m happy to see you, but I’m not sure!” Merkel answers promptly: “Yes, yes, yes. I’m still a member of the CDU!”

This is about a serious matter, ultimately: human life. She is a member of the CDU – and she was the chancellor who was responsible for the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The committee is supposed to clarify the hectic German evacuation from Kabul in August 2021, the obvious misjudgments of the then federal government, and the fate of the Afghan local staff.

In the last few weeks, Angela Merkel has been on a reading tour about her biography “Freedom” to introduce. She is enjoying her retirement and mainly attends pleasant appointments. But today she returns to her old place of work – not as the most powerful woman in the republic, but as a witness.

Merkel appears calm and well prepared when her interrogation begins at 3 p.m. She reads her opening statement calmly and in a structured manner; it takes half an hour. She emphasizes that the withdrawal of the Bundeswehr went according to plan: “I was very relieved about that”she says in a monotone tone.

The chairman of the committee, Ralf Stegner from the SPD, asked how she prepared for her testimony. Merkel answers: “I read files, tried to remember, wrote this down and came here.” Her humorous manner makes the room smile – despite the serious topic.

You could have already known what she was going to say here. Maybe also that you shouldn’t expect too much self-criticism. Merkel explains to the committee: “After the Taliban were driven out in 2001, Afghan society was unable to mobilize sufficient forces for development without corruption, nepotism and drug cultivation.”

This sentence can actually be found word for word on page 630 of her biography “Freedom”. She had also recorded some other statements in her book.

Merkel then explains that the USA had decided to withdraw from Afghanistan and Germany had to follow – because of “the normative force of the factual”. She emphasizes that one cannot rely exclusively on negative scenarios.

It was also unclear in what time frame the Taliban would take control. “It could also have been that my term in office would have long since ended by the time President Ghani leaves the country”she remarks.

The then Afghan President Ashraf Ghani hastily fled the country by helicopter in August 2021 – shortly before the Taliban took over the capital Kabul. Merkel draws a comparison with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who remained in his country after the Russian war of aggression began in February 2022.

Merkel also has a clear opinion on the question of whether Germany should accept Afghan relief workers from the Bundeswehr earlier: That would have been a bad signal for the Afghans who were still fighting for their country.

Should Berlin have at least prepared for a Taliban takeover earlier? After all, the Federal Intelligence Service warned of such a scenario in 2020 – internally “Emirate 2.0” called. Here too, Angela Merkel has a simple explanation: You cannot only act based on the most negative scenarios.

Why was the federal government still so taken by surprise? Why were warnings ignored? Why didn’t the local staff fly out earlier? Merkel blocks it. At the end she says: “What was intended didn’t happen. We have to live with that.” Basta.

In this investigative committee she comes to light once again, the politician who was Angela Merkel, who ruled this country for 16 years: she describes events in detail, appears experienced, quotes files and, of course: her book.

Her humor shines through again and again, the calmness of a woman who has finished politics. But one thing has apparently remained the same since 2021: For Angela Merkel, Angela Merkel is not to blame for the disaster in Afghanistan.