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Angela Merkel’s legacy: the future of women’s leadership in Europe

For the past 20 years, the Europe Union has been first and foremost led by women. At the same time, the EU has emerged in the past 20 years as a global leader, growing in members and simultaneously increasing its political and economic integration, as well as its ability to answer major crises. Angela Merkel came to power as Chancellor of Germany in 2005, a position in which she remained for 16 years. She was the unquestioned dealmaker and unifier in the EU, no matter who was the European Council or Commission President. Her legacy was to install Ursula von der Leyen as the EU’s strongwoman, who today is the undisputed leader of the EU. Crucial other leadership positions are held by women: High Representative Kaja Kallas, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, European Investment Bank President Nadia Calviño and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola – to name the most prominent ones.

> Globally, more than 90% of heads of state or government are men, more than 80% of cabinet positions are held by men and more than 70% of parliamentary seats have a male occupier

So, is all fine and dandy in the EU when it comes to women’s political leadership? No, we definitely are not there yet. However, to quote Erasmus of Rotterdam, the EU is the one-eyed among the blind when one looks to the global situation. Globally, more than 90% of heads of state or government are men, more than 80% of cabinet positions are held by men and more than 70% of parliamentary seats have a male occupier. Men are massively overrepresented in political representation. At the end of last year’s super election year, when nearly half the world’s population – 3.6bn people – went to the polls, 27 new parliaments in countries such as the US, Portugal, Pakistan, India, Indonesia and South Africa had fewer women than they did before the elections.

And, for the first time in its history, fewer women were also elected to the European Parliament. The EU’s own institutions, too, see the global rollback in women’s participation. **Von der Leyen’s ambition to again establish parity in her second-term College of Commissioners was blatantly undermined by the leaders of the EU member states**. As a consequence, she assigned some of the most powerful portfolios to women Commissioners, sending the clear message: your country missed an opportunity by not sending a woman candidate. It was José Manuel Barroso who in 2004, on becoming Commission President, for the first time called for a minimum of 30% of the EU Commissioners to be women. Asked in public how he was able to convince the mainly male leaders of the EU member states to send a woman to Brussels, he jokingly replied blackmailing and bribery, “Send me a woman – she will be in charge of the competition portfolio. Send me a man – he will get multilingualism”. It was a landmark moment for the EU institutions, complemented by the smart and bold ambition to open the talent pool in the administration to women in leadership positions.

However, consider the European Council. Of its 27 members, only three are women, the leaders of Denmark, Italy and Latvia. No EU member state parliament reaches parity, with large variations and Cyprus holding the wooden spoon with less than 15% of its parliamentarians being women.

Why does it matter? **Empirical data shows a clear correlation between women’s political representation and economic growth, highly desired in the EU, to just mention one argument**. However, should the ‘why’ really be a discussion in the Europe of 2025? Is the rollback in people’s minds that far advanced already?

Let’s focus on what can be done to solve the issue: political parties need to change. Across Europe, they continue to function in ways that are 19th-century methods. The ‘old boys’ networks’ remain influential, and party selection processes often favour men.

> This International Women’s Day should not just be a celebration – it should be a recognition of Europe’s leadership and a commitment to sustaining the momentum

Another major obstacle is work-work balance. Let’s not call it work-life; it is misleading. The outside professional life for women is first and foremost unpaid domestic work. **Political careers demand long hours, extensive travel and a level of flexibility that disproportionately disadvantages women, who still shoulder the majority of caregiving responsibilities**. Even in countries with strong parental leave policies, the culture of politics remains deeply gendered, making it difficult for women to compete on an equal footing. The European Parliament to date is not itself the change it wants to see in the world. Despite EU legislation on maternity leave, the Parliament has no maternity leave rules for its members, let alone paternity leave. One needs to call in sick. Having a baby, however, is not a disease. This is yet another manifestation of political work being designed without including the life-cycle of women or parents.

Then there is the issue of gender-based harassment and violence. **Women in politics, especially those in high-profile roles, face an alarming level of online abuse and threats. 96% of deepfakes target women**. Data for Germany shows that leading women politicians receive hate messages on social media every two minutes. More than 80% of women politicians say they experience online violence, with more than 10% experiencing physical violence. This leads to women dropping out – globally, 6 out of 10 women do not run again after their first mandate. This also leads to societies where hate and toxicity is normalised. Something Europe should not aspire to, but forcefully combat.

Europe has positioned itself as a global leader in women’s leadership, and while the work is far from done, the progress is undeniable. This International Women’s Day should not just be a celebration – it should be a recognition of Europe’s leadership and a commitment to sustaining the momentum. **If Europe continues to build on its achievements, it will remain a model for the rest of the world, ensuring that women are not just present in political institutions, but leading them**.

_The views expressed in this #CriticalThinking article reflect those of the author(s) and not of Friends of Europe._

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