介绍:
10 Years of Angela Merkel
From CRIENGLISH.com
Angela Merkel[安格拉·(多罗特娅)·默克尔]took over[接管] Germany's top office from Gerhard Schroeder in 2005. She was the first woman to hold the office as well as the first chancellor[大臣; （某些美国大学的）校长; （德国或奥地利的）总理; （英国大学的）名誉校长] to have come from the former communist East Germany[东德]. When she took over, Germany was in a very different place. Over 5 million people were out of work[失业] and many wondered whether Europe's largest economy was headed in the wrong direction.
However, 10 years later, the unemployment rate[失业率] is half of what it was, and the country is the unquestioned[不成为问题的，无疑问的] economic and political leader of the European Union[欧盟]. Over the past two years, Merkel has been Europe's key player in trying to broker[作为权力经纪人进行谈判; 作为中间人来安排、设法;] peace in Ukraine[乌克兰]. She also was a central figure[中心人物;核心] in negotiating a controversial third bailout[紧急援助; 跳伞; 抽资] with the Greek[希腊] government, which allowed that country to stay in the Eurozone[欧元区].
But perhaps her signature[识别标志，鲜明特征] moment of the past 10 years was opening Germany's borders to all those fleeing Syria who have arrived in Germany seeking asylum[请求庇护]. At a recent congress[国会; 代表大会] of her center right party, she spoke of the importance of addressing the root causes[根本原因] of migration[迁移，移居] and working closely with other countries like Turkey.
"Dear friends, in this way, we can reduce the number of asylum seekers[寻求庇护者]. Not by unilaterally[单方面做出地; 仅影响一方地; 单方面地; 单边地;] imposing[强加; 征税;利用] an upper limit[上限] nationally on the number of refugees[避难者，难民]. THAT is in everyone's interest."
Not everyone sees it that way though. Merkel's approval ratings[支持率] have hit their lowest point[达到最低点] in four years. And at the same event, on the same stage, the leader of her sister party, Horst Seehofer[霍斯特·泽霍费尔-德国政治人物] the Minister President of Bavaria[ 巴伐利亚（位于德国南部，昔时为一独立王国）], struck back[回击;反击] at Merkel's policies.
"We do not need a welcoming culture, but a culture of reason. And our faith... our Christian faith, is not, dear friends, as opposed to this reason. "No one can be forced to shoulder[担负，承担; 肩起] more than they can carry"
If Merkel can survive the current refugee crisis[度过当前的难民危机] though, the 61 year old Chancellor remains the favorite[最有希望获胜者] to win another term in 2017.
For CRI, I'm Ira Spitzer in Berlin.
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