Merke Ps mixed legacy

RELEASE OF MEMOIRS RAISES DEBATE OVER HER FOUR TERMS

- Berlin

Four years after retirement, German economy is in doldrums, shrinking.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel was still one of the world's most popular politicians when she retired in 2021, but critics are increasingly questioning her legacy ahead of the release of her memoirs.

Freedom, co-written by Merkel and her longtime political advisor, Beate Baumann, will be published in 30 languages on Tuesday, just as Germany grapples with a deep political crisis ahead of snap elections in February.

The contents of the 736-page book have been a closely guarded secret but are expected to shed new light on the four terms in office from 2005 to 2021, during which she was the world's most powerful woman.

But with Europe's biggest economy in disarray since she left office, critics have already rounded on Merkel ahead of the publication date.