GORKI, January 27. /TASS/. While Angela Merkel as Chancellor of Germany was not an easy partner for Moscow, she was a constructive and understandable partner, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said this in an interview with Russian media outlets, including TASS.
"In my opinion, she was for us - both for me personally and for the President [of Russia Vladimir Putin] and for our other colleagues who worked with her, I am sure - not an easy but constructive and in many ways absolutely understandable partner," he said.
Medvedev elaborated on the qualities he expressed.
"What do I mean? Constructive - because you could always look for some compromises with her. Understandable - because she could hear arguments," he said.
The politician said that although Merkel could not agree with some arguments, "she always heard them and answered them."
"Well, [she was] not easy either, because she very often took a position that was very different from ours, especially after 2014," the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation added.
According to him, after Merkel left her post, Germany faced a certain shortage of personnel, a "vacuum." She was at the helm of power in Germany for a long time, and the role of Germany in the European Union cannot be overestimated, Medvedev believes.
"The era of Merkel is over," the politician stated.
Therefore, it is clear that now everyone is wondering who will lead in Europe, how the policy of Germany will develop, Medvedev summed up.
International role
According to Medvedev, Merkel was a hardworking and effective leader for her country.
"For Germany, she was a good chancellor. It seems to me, now she can not only rest on her laurels, but rest with a sense of accomplishment," Medvedev said.
He believes that now a possible new position for the ex-Chancellor is a matter of her own desire and choice. If Merkel sees herself in some international post, she would probably be in demand in this capacity, the politician added.
"But <...> frankly speaking, after such a colossal amount of work for such a huge, powerful economy as Germany, in such a country, I don't know if she needs it," Medvedev noted.
He wondered if anyone could name at least one former US president who would take the position of an international official.
"I don’t remember a single one. Why? Because they led the largest country, which is really the most important geopolitical player. The same can be said about Mrs. Merkel, although I do not know her true intentions," Medvedev concluded.