WEBVTT 00:00.329 --> 00:05.180 JUDY WOODRUFF: Germany is one of America's most important allies, and nearly every American 00:05.180 --> 00:10.180 president since George W. Bush has worked closely with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 00:10.849 --> 00:15.849 But for the first time since 2005, she will not be a candidate when Germans head to the 00:16.230 --> 00:19.330 polls this Sunday to vote for her successor. 00:19.330 --> 00:24.330 Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant is in Berlin with a preview of the upcoming election. 00:24.849 --> 00:28.110 MALCOLM BRABANT: Judy, this is the end of an era. 00:28.110 --> 00:32.650 Angela Merkel is slipping away from the political stage with minimal fanfare, which is entirely 00:32.650 --> 00:37.650 consistent with her modest, understated style. She's leaving behind huge shoes to fill, and 00:38.210 --> 00:41.480 there's a very tight race to replace her as chancellor. 00:41.480 --> 00:46.480 For 16 years, Angela Merkel has led Germany and been Europe's most dominant politician. 00:46.750 --> 00:51.750 They call her Mutti, or Mom. Now, as Mutti is leaving the chancellery, Germany is out 00:52.470 --> 00:53.470 of its comfort zone. 00:53.470 --> 00:56.870 PETER NEUMANN, Christian Democratic Union: I think she will be remembered as a very important 00:56.870 --> 00:58.690 statesperson who kept Europe together. 00:58.690 --> 01:03.300 MALCOLM BRABANT: Peter Neumann is a senior adviser to Merkel's center-right Christian 01:03.300 --> 01:04.300 Democrat Party. 01:04.300 --> 01:09.300 PETER NEUMANN: History will remember her as a successful chancellor, as a popular chancellor, 01:10.110 --> 01:15.110 as a chancellor that brought Germans a great deal of prosperity 01:15.360 --> 01:20.360 MALCOLM BRABANT: President Biden saluted the shy research scientist who became the first 01:20.390 --> 01:24.220 East German to assume her nation's highest office since reunification. 01:24.220 --> 01:29.220 JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: On behalf of the United States, thank you, 01:29.460 --> 01:32.580 Angela, for your career of strong, principled leadership. 01:32.580 --> 01:37.580 And I want to thank you for your continued support for the longstanding goal of Europe 01:39.520 --> 01:42.380 whole, free and at peace. 01:42.380 --> 01:47.380 MALCOLM BRABANT: In 2010, Merkel saved the euro currency by coordinating a financial 01:47.620 --> 01:52.620 bailout for Greece when it went bust. There were fears that other weak European economies 01:52.960 --> 01:55.240 would collapse and the euro would tank. 01:55.240 --> 01:59.850 ANGELA MERKEL, German Chancellor (through translator): Europe fails when the euro fails. 01:59.850 --> 02:01.799 Europe wins when the euro wins. 02:01.799 --> 02:06.090 MALCOLM BRABANT: Merkel's most controversial unilateral act was to throw open Germany's 02:06.090 --> 02:11.090 borders to Syrian refugees in 2015. In all, Germany granted asylum to over a million in 02:13.070 --> 02:15.840 that first year of Europe's migration crisis. 02:15.840 --> 02:20.690 ANGELA MERKEL (through translator): And I have to say quite honestly, if we now start 02:20.690 --> 02:25.690 having to apologize even for showing a friendly face in emergency situations, then this is 02:26.050 --> 02:27.160 not my country. 02:27.160 --> 02:32.160 MALCOLM BRABANT: People across the developing world saw this as an invitation to enter Europe. 02:32.920 --> 02:37.920 Only Sweden emulated Germany. Partner nations resented being pressured. Hungary erected 02:39.000 --> 02:44.000 a border fence, wrecking the E.U.'s commitment to open internal frontiers. 02:44.459 --> 02:48.740 Six years on, the flow of asylum seekers into Europe is still strong. 02:48.740 --> 02:53.510 Sonya Sceats runs a London-based pro refugee nonprofit. She thinks Merkel was right. 02:53.510 --> 02:55.970 SONYA SCEATS, Chief Executive, Freedom From Torture: Germany and Sweden tried to start 02:55.970 --> 02:59.690 a grownup conversation with other European states, and other European states weren't 02:59.690 --> 03:01.940 willing to step up to the plate. 03:01.940 --> 03:06.530 MALCOLM BRABANT: The influx caused a backlash at home, and, as Peter Neumann explains, led 03:06.530 --> 03:09.160 to a resurgence of the far right in East Germany. 03:09.160 --> 03:14.160 PETER NEUMANN: Significant parts of the electorate didn't like it at all and especially the East, 03:14.670 --> 03:19.670 where she's coming from was very aggrieved about it and still holds it against her. I 03:20.541 --> 03:23.950 think that's the point where she lost the former East Germany. 03:23.950 --> 03:28.950 MALCOLM BRABANT: Since Merkel opened Germany's borders in 2015. European right-wingers like 03:29.180 --> 03:34.180 French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen have secured a stronger footing with their 03:34.570 --> 03:35.570 anti-immigration rhetoric. 03:35.570 --> 03:39.200 MARINE LE PEN, President, National Rally Party (through translator): All of the migrants 03:39.200 --> 03:44.150 who didn't stay in Germany went off amusing themselves in other European countries without 03:44.150 --> 03:49.150 asking for our permission. Those who didn't remain in Germany went to Sweden, Italy, France, 03:50.390 --> 03:54.690 weighing heavily on our finances, and creating conditions for conflict. 03:54.690 --> 03:59.690 MALCOLM BRABANT: Unlike last time, when immigration dominated, climate change is this election's 04:00.660 --> 04:05.400 hot issue. Polls suggest that Germany is steering to the left. 04:05.400 --> 04:10.400 Most Germans expect Social Democrat Olaf Scholz to replace Merkel. As finance minister in 04:11.140 --> 04:16.140 Merkel's coalition government, Scholz is a known quantity, if a little dull. His main 04:17.370 --> 04:22.289 rival, Armin Laschet, who replaced Merkel as head of the center-right Christian Democrats, 04:22.289 --> 04:24.550 is also charisma-challenged. 04:24.550 --> 04:29.550 But that's not a disadvantage in Germany. The main outsider, Annalena Baerbock of the 04:29.960 --> 04:34.960 environmentalist Greens, is predicted to be kingmaker in the next inevitable coalition. 04:35.469 --> 04:38.611 OLAF SCHOLZ, Social Democratic Party (through translator): Many citizens can see me as the 04:38.611 --> 04:43.529 next head of government, the next chancellor. And I make no secret that, above all, I would 04:43.529 --> 04:46.199 like to create a government in alliance with the Greens. 04:46.199 --> 04:49.729 MALCOLM BRABANT: Laschet is promising Merkel-like stability. 04:49.729 --> 04:52.349 ARMIN LASCHET, Christian Democratic Union (through translator): I stand for the cohesion 04:52.349 --> 04:57.349 of Europe in these difficult times, a climate-neutral industry and strong economy, and a clear course 04:58.080 --> 04:59.599 for national security. 04:59.599 --> 05:03.539 MALCOLM BRABANT: Baerbock wants to force the Christian Democrats into opposition. 05:03.539 --> 05:06.270 ANNALENA BAERBOCK, Leader, German Green Party (through translator): I stand for no longer 05:06.270 --> 05:11.270 using half-measures to protect the climate, a policy that finally brings children and 05:11.499 --> 05:16.419 families to its core and a human rights-led foreign policy in the heart of Europe. 05:16.419 --> 05:21.419 MALCOLM BRABANT: Devastating floods caused by unnaturally heavy summer rain pushed climate 05:21.520 --> 05:26.520 change onto the election agenda. The death toll is still unclear, but could be as high 05:27.369 --> 05:32.129 as 300. Restoration could cost $30 billion. 05:32.129 --> 05:36.680 Activist Jacob Heinze has gone without food for three weeks to highlight climate change. 05:36.680 --> 05:41.680 At the hunger striker'S camp, spokeswoman Helen Luebbert had harsh words for the greens. 05:41.710 --> 05:44.990 HELEN LUEBBERT, Climate Change Activist: They are not the solution. Even their program is 05:44.990 --> 05:48.690 not enough. And, therefore, I think it's important that they are part of the coalition, they 05:48.690 --> 05:52.719 do everything they can within the political spectrum, within the Parliament, and then 05:52.719 --> 05:55.979 we definitely need opposition from without the Parliament. 05:55.979 --> 06:00.979 MALCOLM BRABANT: Facing possible defeat, center-right parliamentary candidate Klaus-Dieter Grohler 06:01.279 --> 06:04.099 was trying to woo votes with bratwurst and beer. 06:04.099 --> 06:07.059 KLAUS-DIETER GROHLER, Christian Democratic Union (through translator): People are asking 06:07.059 --> 06:10.939 critical questions, but I'm not getting the sense that they are really interested in a 06:10.939 --> 06:11.939 change of government. 06:11.939 --> 06:16.629 MALCOLM BRABANT: That's not what the polls say. This voter won't be swayed by a sausage. 06:16.629 --> 06:21.219 MAN: Angela Merkel was -- I think she did a good job overall, but we need to do something 06:21.219 --> 06:22.219 different. 06:22.219 --> 06:26.289 MALCOLM BRABANT: As Election Day approaches, the party of Angela Merkel is hoping Germans 06:26.289 --> 06:31.289 will avoid change, and play safe, as they have done so often in the past. 06:32.129 --> 06:34.830 For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Malcolm Brabant in Berlin.