German Chancellor Angela Merkel called 2020 the most difficult year of her time in leadership during what will likely be her final New Year’s speech.
Merkel made the statement during an unusually emotional speech, Reuters reports. Merkel is currently on her fourth and final term as chancellor.
“I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say, never in the past 15 years have we found the old year so hard and never, despite all the concerns and some skepticism, have we looked forward to the new with so much hope,” Merkel said.
Merkel has received praise during the pandemic, Reuters notes, for her strong commitment to science and her success in fighting the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2018, Merkel announced that she would not seek re-election at the end of her term and would step down in 2021.
“I can only imagine how bitter it must feel for those grieving loved ones who have been lost to corona or who have to fight the consequences of a disease when the virus is disputed and denied by some hopeless individuals,” Merkel said.
Merkel introduced new, tougher coronavirus restrictions earlier in December, citing the record number of cases in Germany. With the new restrictions, in-person education was canceled, indoor meetings were limited to no more than 5 people, and most non-essential stores were closed.
Germany was one of the first European countries to start a second lockdown in the winter as coronavirus cases started to increase. France, Italy and the UK soon followed.
Reuters notes that while Merkel will not pursue reelection, there is a chance that she will remain in power until 2022 if the September elections in Germany continue after December.