GOODBYE German Chancellor Angela Merkel waves in front of the traditional Christmas tree put up at the Chancellery on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021 (November 25 in Manila) in Berlin. Merkel will end her 16-year reign as German chancellor on Nov. 27, 2021. AFP PHOTO
BERLIN: She was called "the leader of the free world" against authoritarian populists on the march in Europe and the United States, but Angela Merkel is wrapping up a historic 16 years in power with a mixed legacy at home and abroad.