German Chancellor Angela Merkel is often presented as humanity’s leader for democracy and human rights.

CNN’s Stephen Collinson has lauded the German premier as the “moral leader of the West.” The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin has argued that Merkel is Europe’s last line of defense against the dual threat of Trumpism and Putinism. The Los Angeles Times’s editorial board worries that Merkel’s departure from office will “leave liberal democracy leaderless.” The media reaction to the chancellor’s 2019 Harvard University commencement address was a cacophony of ecstasy.