Universiteit Antwerpen

A comparison of the Leader image of Merkel and Thatcher

Francine Carron

Prof. Devries

Politieke Marketing

Woensdag, November, 25 2009

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 Table of Contents

Part 1: Comparison
Introduction
1.1 Personal and Political Backgrounds of
Merkel & Thatcher
1.2 The Physical appearance of Merkel &
Thatcher
1.3 Personalities of Merkel and Thatcher
1.4 Review and Discussion Merkel and Thatcher
Part 2: Gender
2.1 The Gender aspect of Merkel and Thatcher’s
political image
Part 3: Conclusion

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Part 1: Comparison

Over the last decade there has been an increase in female politicians around the globe. Currently,
the most powerful woman in the world is the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She is the only woman
in the G8, the only female head of state in the EU and NATO. In the media Merkel is frequently being
compared to Margaret Thatcher. In today’s world of politics style matters more than substance and
personalities more than politics. With this in mind I will compare the political image of Angela Merkel
and Margaret Thatcher also taking into account the gender aspect of political marketing. This image
analysis will include physical appearance, personality and leadership styles. The paper is divided into
three main parts. The first part is devoted to comparing the ‘total image’ of Merkel and Thatcher. The
second part focuses on the gender aspect of the image of Merkel and Thatcher. The third part is devoted
to an overall conclusion of the image of Merkel, Thatcher and women in general.

1.1 Personal and Political Backgrounds of Merkel & Thatcher:

Angela Merkel was born in Hamburg but grew up in East Germany. She is the daughter of a
protestant priest and has been married twice with no children. She studied physics and worked at the
Academy of Sciences in East Germany before becoming a politician. Her political career started in 1989
as deputy spokesperson for the East German Government. After that in 1990 she became Minister of
Women and Youth for unified Germany under Chancellor Kohl. In 1994 she became Minister for the
Environment and Nuclear Safety. On the tenth of April in 2000 she was elected the first female leader of
her party (CDU)*. On the 22nd of November in 2005 she was elected Chancellor of Germany and re-
elected in 2009.

Margaret Thatcher was born Margaret Hilda Roberts, daughter of Alfred Roberts. Her father
owned a grocery store in Grantham, Lincolnshire and was active in local politics. Thatcher received a
scholarship and studied Chemistry. She then worked her way to Oxford and earned a law degree. She
first worked as a research chemist for British Xylonite and Lyons & Company. After working as a
chemist she worked as a tax lawyer, later to become a barrister. She entered the parliament in 1959.
Between 1970 and 1974 she was the Secretary of State for Education. In 1975 she became leader of the
Conservative party. She was the first woman in Britain to be elected Prime Minister in 1979, re-elected in
1983 and 1987. She led the United Kingdom for three consecutive terms. She resigned in 1990 and was
replaced by John Major. She left the House of Commons in 1992 to enter the House of Lords as
Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven. She was married to Dennis Thatcher, a successful businessman and has
twin children Mark and Carol Thatcher.

1.2 The physical appearance of Merkel and Thatcher

Ever since women’s significance in politics has grown, the media has obsessively scrutinized the
physical appearance of female politicians. When Merkel became Minister of Women and Youth in 1990
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the media began criticizing her looks. She was not used to wearing makeup or nice clothes hence her
hairstyle and clothes were not modern. Merkel, who was used to totally different media interest, did not
understand why people would focus on her appearance more than on her policies. In 1992, Merkel
became friends with Alice Schwartzer, one of the leading German feminist. Schwartzer “found it great
that she apparently spent more time thinking than putting on makeup.1” However, positive the comment,
Merkel had to do something about her image if she wanted to advance in her career.

She was spotted at the 2005 Bayreuth festival wearing a peach colored dress with sweats stains under
her arms. Weiland, who analyzed Angela Merkel’s image, said that she had “more in common with a
sandal-wearing member of the Green Party than that of leader of the center-right wing party”.2 Edmund
Stoiber, Merkel’s ex-political partner complicated her image even more by looking sophisticated each
time he appeared in public. In 2005 Stern magazine published Angela Merkel’s holiday photos (Figure
A.) next to the holiday pictures of Stoiber (Figure B). Angela Merkel was wearing wrinkled pants and an
oversized shirt. Her hair style was also very chaotic. Merkel’s husband was wearing jeans and a bright
colored striped shirt, not matching her outfit. They were standing next to a lake with a man holding a
freshly caught fish. Stoiber was also posing next to a lake with an umbrella, flowers and “not a fish in
sight”.3 He was wearing a “trendy bright blue lacoste polo and crisp chinos”. Stoiber’s wife was wearing
a similar outfit and her hair was beautifully coiffed. According to Weiland, who analyzed Merkel’s
image, Stoiber pictures represented “the how – to portray – yourself – perfectly – in –the – media
handbook.”4

Looking at these pictures, one can see that it was time for a change hence the Merkel makeover
began. The restyling of Angela Merkel was put in the capable hands of celebrity stylist, Udo Walz. He
commented on Merkel’s appearance that it was “important to transform her gradually as not to inspire
ridicule”.5 Today, Merkel has a more stylish haircut and dresses in well put together clothes. She wears
blue pantsuits with low shoes and prefers to combine this with bright colored jackets. (Figure C) Merkel
obviously has accepted the concept of power dressing and learned that haircut and clothes is a crucial part
of politics. According to Weiland, “image is responsible for a lot of how a politician is perceived by
voters”.6 Power dressing in the words of John Molloy, author of ‘New Women’s Dress for Success’ is the

1
Tupy, P. B. (2005, September 16). Thatcher Again?
2
Weiland, S. (2005, November 8). Angela Merkel's Image Problem.
3
Id.
4
Id.
5
Id.
6
Id.

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idea of women wearing “simple tailored suits in neutral navy or slate blue, combined with non sexual
blouses.”7

On the 13th of October in 2008 Angela Merkel wore a low-cut dress to the opening of Oslo's new
€530 million Opera House where she joined King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway. The dress in
question was a long black dress with a blue bolero shawl.8 (Figure D) Pictures of Merkel’s cleavage
were spread around the world. The Daily Mail British tabloid ran the title "Merkel's Weapons of Mass
Distraction."9 These media comments did not amuse the Chancellor. Thomas Steg, the government's
deputy spokesman, declared that the Chancellor had no intention of drawing attention with her dress.
He assured reporters, adding: When there's nothing more important in the world to talk about than an
evening dress, then you probably can't help it.”10 It is obvious that Merkel did not consult her image
advisor for that night. The recent opera event reminded Angela Merkel that people indeed perceive
female leaders differently then male leaders even though she doesn’t have much of a female identity.
After all the controversy over Merkel’s clothing choices, it is quite evident that in the world of politics
women are required to not only be politically inclined but they should also be an image of beauty and
style. For Merkel, in order not to distract people from her competencies and qualities her hair and
clothes have to be perfectly balanced. “A game with media and public Merkel has to struggle with even
today.”11

For Thatcher image was not such a big issue as for Merkel. Thatcher quickly understood that
image is an important aspect of politics. She knew that the public was very critical about public figures
in general. Already during her college years at Oxford, she tried to get rid of her local accent by starting
to speak with a low pitch. However, this was not enough and she took speech classes from public
relations advisor Gordon Reece and Millar in the National Theater. They helped deepening her timbre
and accentuated its huskiness and removed the pseudo-upper class accent.12 In the beginning of her
career, Thatcher used to always wear old fashioned skirts and a pearl necklace. In order to enhance her
image she hired an old friend as fashion consultant. Her transformation was to make her more appealing
to voters. According to fashion-era.com Thatcher is the icon for power dressing. 13 Power suits and
dressing for success was a symbol of the ‘80’s. Thatcher’s hairstyle and clothes were selected with great
care, every outfit was selected for the occasion. Thatcher wore colorful feminine suits with matching
jewelry and a heavy handbag. She wore sexy black nylons and always wore high heeled shoes. Thatcher
never went anywhere without consulting her image advisor, hence she always looked impeccable.

7
Thomas, P. W. (unknown). 1980s Fashion History and Lifestyle.
8
jtw. (2008, April 4). Plunging Neckline Merkel 'Surprised' by Attention to Low-Cut Dress.
9
Id.
10
Id.
11
GFDL. (2009). Angela Merkel: Facts.
12
McNair, B. (1995). An Introduction to Political Communication. London: Routledge.
13
Thomas, P. W. (unknown). 1980s Fashion History and Lifestyle.

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Thatcher thought that looking clean, tidy and polished was a person’s obligation to one’s self. She said
more than once that the first impression always needs to perfect and combined with a smile. Thatcher is
pictured in many photos smiling. (Figure F) Francois Mitterand once said that “Thatcher had the eyes of
Caligula and the mouth of Marilyn Monroe.”14 However, critics have said that even though Thatcher
wears feminine clothing, one can see in her way of walking that she is very manly at heart.

As she served three consecutive terms, she did not like the fact that she was becoming older.
Thatcher dyed her hair blond where it was becoming gray and started wearing Victorian shawls to hide
the wrinkles in her neck. She was very concerned with her image which also helped her to such great
success. Wio Joustra, author of ‘Margaret Thatcher – Een portret van Engelands Ijzeren Dame” stated
that if she was living in the United States she would have had a few facelifts by now.15

There is not so much to say about the physical appearance of Thatcher as she did not make the
same mistakes as Merkel. She understood and was guided almost from the time she became an
important British politician till the end of her career. Brian McNair wrote in his book ‘An introduction
of political communication’ that “Thatcher had accepted the view that clothes convey messages,
because they involve choice, and those choices express personality” (Bruce, 1992, p.55)16 “Personal
image matters, for former Thatcher adviser Brendan Bruce, because its constituents- clothes, hair,
make-up, etc –signify things about the politician. Image can, with skill, be enlisted to connote power,
authority and other politically desirable attributes. Margaret Thatcher understood all of this hence image
was fundamental for her success. I have searched the internet for pictures of Margaret Thatcher before
before her image make over but did not find anything besides childhood pictures. This Again, reiterates
the fact that Thatcher was very occupied with her image and always looked polished at each public
appearance.

1.3 Personalities of Merkel and Thatcher

Leadership is a function of personality. Important aspects of leadership are to have vision, values,
will power, timing and the ability to prioritize. In literature it has been assumed that female leadership
should be more relation oriented then male leadership. However, this is not empirically proved.
Researchers such as Klenke, Strand, Kruks and Mackay have been able to establish that the expectations
on female leaders are greater.17 Political leadership theorists’ have researched if men and women
prioritize different on political issues; the answers are contradictory. Some researcher find out that
“female leaders are more interested in female related problems while others are of the opinion that

14
Joustra, W. (1988). Margaret Thatcher: Een portret van Engelands Ijzeren Dame. Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Balans.
15
Id.
16
McNair, B. (1995). An Introduction to Political Communication. London: Routledge.
17
Id.

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organizational structures determine the leadership style and that women, when in power, act in the same
way as men” (Carrol 1984).18

According to Boege, who studied Angela Merkel’s career, personality and leadership style: she is an
“extremely flexible, smart, and tough person, she observes, analyzes, plans - and then acts, often in a
surprising way, she is robust, persistent and much disciplined.”19 Mrs. Merkel is a strategic thinker that
took her career one step at the time; sometimes even waiting to make a move until the time was right.
Though, Merkel didn’t have to wait too long because in 16 years of politics she became Chancellor of
Germany. Wolfgan Schäublein party leader of CDU (1999) regarded her to be “a very intelligent and
wise person with a raiser sharp analytic skill, very quick to uptake what was going on.”20 Merkel is also
very determined and believes in never giving up. I find her very pragmatic, a no-nonsense person and non
partisan. She is someone who is able to focus on issues, not on ideological traditions. She can make fast
decisions and has a “rather mechanical perception of the world.”21 This clearly makes her more a realist
than an idealist.

She has outstanding analytic abilities - she structures and captures complex issues fast by simplifying
problems. She identifies systematic patterns within problems and once she understands the key drivers, she
builds a frame and predicts the solution. Within this frame, she has a deductive and trial-error problem-
solving approach. She loves details and has an almost perfectionist approach to thinking things through
herself and understanding issues in depth. She shows the persistency of a passionate scientist who is doing
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research until ‘the experiment’ works out.

An example of her pragmatic and patient characteristics prevailed during the Castor scandal.* Instead of
panicking and losing control she remained composed and strategically defused the situation. These
strategies have been key in the success of her political career.

Next to being a courageous leader, Merkel also has an enormous amount of determination, which is
one of the key aspects of leaderships. These characteristics are portrayed in her past political career
before becoming Chancellor of Germany. As previously mentioned a leader needs to know when the
timing is right. One can say that Angela Merkel has developed a “well developed scene for timing”. She
established herself in the political arena by making use of every opportunity that turned up. The ability to
prioritize is also a key characteristic. Merkel has proven that she also has this particular ability. She has

18
Id.
19
Boege, J. a. (2007). A Manager at Home and a Leader Abroad? Insights into Angela Merkel’s career, personality and
leadership style.
20
Tupy, P. B. (2005, September 16). Thatcher Again?
21
Id.
22
Boege, J. a. (2007). A Manager at Home and a Leader Abroad? Insights into Angela Merkel’s career, personality and
leadership style.

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shown this in the election campaign of 2005. The German Chancellor announced a number of necessary
changes in German domestic politics.23 Talking about these reforms almost caused her to lose the
election. Yet, she stood up as a leader and prioritized what is important for Germany. In biographies
about Merkel one notices that she possesses four of the five leadership qualities. She is lacking the
quality of values as she is more focused on vision. Together with courage, analytic ability she managed to
climb the political ladder from being unknown to holding one of the most important political positions in
Europe.

Researching Merkel one notices that she has developed a masculine leadership style. Merkel has
learned from her mistakes and copied the successful strategies of male politicians. She understood from
her boss, Helmut Kohl that it was important and absolutely necessary to have allies. Merkel therefore
created an “inner circle of loyal, stable people who would support her.” 24 The two closest collaborators
were Beate Baumann and Eva Christiansen. The media started immediately talking about the girl’s camp.
However, Merkel being the natural politician she calmly answered that “men use to have female
secretaries and so did she- Even Chancellor Schröder had a female head of staff.”25 By creating these
allies she has impressed “many of the grass roots by clearly making the party her power base.”26

Margaret Thatcher has also been described as a strong leader. The reason for this is that she cracked
down on the trade unions, she lead Great Britain to a victory in the Falklands and had a famously
competitive attitude to the EU. She was viewed as a stern leader with a quick mind and faster mouth. She
argued her way into one of the best Tory seats at the age of 34. Due to her strong standards and her
leadership style, she became known as the Iron lady, “a term originally coined as an insult by the
communist Soviet Union, but one she adopted”.27

Thatcher has all of the five characteristics a leader should have. The characteristic of vision is
reflected in her clear beliefs. She had a Methodist background and there was always a moral purpose to
her actions. Thatcher vision characteristic is also reflected in her economic reform. She didn’t invent new
concepts but saw what had to change and went about emending what she thought was wrong. Thatcher’s
success depended on the power of her ideas. She was very courageous; she dared to do in Great Britain
which no one dared for decades. Thatcher also knew how to prioritize. She first tackled Great Britain’s
main problems cracking down of the trade union which was a long battle. Thatcher also managed the

23
Politics and Gender. (2008). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Castor Schandal: Police members, judges and attorneys from many different countries were accused of being involved in
terrorist organizations.
24
Id.
25
Id.
26
Id.
27
conservapedia. (2009, October 31).

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concept of timing. However for Thatcher every moment was the right moment. She was very direct and
straightforward. “Her straightforward, direct way of putting things, so unusual for a political leader,
earned her some enemies among other leaders but made for a refreshing contrast with the hypocrisy and
vacuity of the accepted political discourse”28 This trait of uncompromising leadership has helped her in
times of crisis though, it helped her be decisive and times no one could. Thatcher is said to have a great
intellectual capacity and physical strength.

In corporate terms Thatcher’s character can be described as “a back-breaking workhorse who leads by
example and never shirks a challenge, they expects employees to automatically get the picture.”29
However, Able and How MD David Ferrabee explains these types of characters “need help in
consideration, listening to people’s problems, caring for those less able and managing egos.”30 Social
media is an advantage for these leaders as they want to keep up the pace.

Thatcher’s favorite and famous quotes were: “I do not know anyone who has got to the top without
hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near”.31 If
you lead a country like Britain, a strong country, a country which was has taken a lead in world affairs in
good times and in bad, a country that is always reliable, then you have a touch of iron about you”.32 Her
very name is used to denote a way of thinking: “Thatcherism”, these are the ideologies, policies and
political style of Margaret Thatcher. Her personality has been key to her success.

1.4 Review and Discussion Merkel and Thatcher

Merkel is dubbed the “German Thatcher”. Some have referred to her as the “Iron Lady,” “Iron Girl”
and even "The Iron Frau" (both alluding to Thatcher, whose nickname was “The Iron Lady”.33 This
comparison is based on the fact that both ladies have scientific backgrounds. They both are the only
women to have been part of the G8, they both push for reformist economic polices and both rose to
power through party promotion.

Clay Risen, who wrote the article “Deutschland’s Iron Lady’s Angela Merkel the next Maggie
Thatcher” comments that due to the fact they have reformist economic policies there has been large
debate to discuss the precise extent to which their agendas are similar.34 When Margaret Thatcher was

28
Boyson, S. R. (1999, November 24). What we can learn from Margaret Thatcher.
29
Sudhaman, A. (2009, Maart 25). Internal Communications: Get The Best Out Of Your Boss.
30
Id.
31
conservapedia. (2009, October 31).
32
Id.
33
Risen, C. (2008, November 16). Merkel, Angela- Article: Deutschland's Irond Lady's Angela Merkel the next Maggie
Thatcher.
34
Id.

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elected Prime Minister in 1979, Great Britain was a sluggish welfare state. “She promised to curtail the
power of the unions, reduce red tape for small business, and cut income taxes.”35 Thatcher transformed
Britain into “one of Europe's most flexible and dynamic economies. When Angela Merkel became
Chancellor in 2005, Germany’s economy was also underperforming. She started her first term with “a
plan to shift the burden of unemployment insurance from wages to the value-added tax and give
companies more room to work out agreements with their employees, rather than with powerful unions.”36
The German Information Centre stated that “on unemployment and the economy, the two issues on
which Merkel said that her administration would be judged, she made progress at least until the global
meltdown of 2008.” 37 “And Forbes cited her as having improved the economy, cut unemployment and as
having pushed "through a later retirement age.” 38 It is quite apparent that Merkel is doing her job. Both
Merkel and Thatcher have the capacity of steely resolve, even though Merkel’s style is less
confrontational than Thatcher’s.

Next to having similar agenda’s Merkel and Thatcher both have strong leadership capabilities,
although they are not real charismatic leaders. According to the studies charismatic leadership is either
natural or can be created by experts and media. Comparing Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher, one
can conclude that the image of both female leaders was created by media experts. For Merkel it was a
longer battle than for Thatcher because Thatcher understood the power of image immediately.

Dejvesky, author of ‘Conservative Germany’ clearly points out the similarities between Thatcher and
Merkel, I quote: “There is the similar businesslike manner, the similar encyclopedic range, the similar
instant grasp of the issue and its political implications, the similar refreshing absence of jargon and spin,
the similar practicality.”39 Analyzing the previous citation, one can say that they share the same
chameleon-like capacity for adapting. Merkel herself claims that Thatcher and she have one important
difference and that is that Thatcher “shoots back with a smile”. Though, they are different in style yet
comparable in results.40

Female leaders have been accused of hindering rather than helping the role of women in politics.41 On
BBC News a former Cabinet Minister of Thatcher once said that “she did not go "out of her way to help
35
Dejevsky, M. (2005, November 11). Conservative Germany.
36
Id.
37
German Information Center. (2008, November 16). Merkel, Angela: Chancellor Merkel named world's most powerful
woman.
38
Id.
39
Posener, A. (2009, September 28). Angela Merkel, the new Maggie Thatcher.
40
EU Observer. (2007, Mei 4). Merkel enige EU-politica in tophonderd Time Magazine (en).
41
Creative Common Attributes. (2008, December 11). Merkel, Angela.
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women" and had only one woman, apart from herself, in her Cabinet, leaving "talented figures …
languishing in lesser posts.” Patricia Hewitt, Thatcher’s cabinet member once said that Thatcher even
undermined the position of woman in society. In contrast, Merkel has been criticized for not campaigning
on women's issues even though the share of female ministers in the present government is 36 percent
which is a little shy of an all-time high of 46 percent women under the Shroeder government. The
Christian Science Monitor suggested ‘that Merkel may self-consciously regard strengthening the role of
women as a responsibility”.42 However, she once said when confronted with women issues that "A
chancellor has German interests."43 Ferree, another author who wrote about Angela Merkel says that she
is not a feminist in all but “she is not allergic to contact with feminism or incapable of trusting and
promoting other women around her. She is, too, well aware of the strategies men use to demean and
exclude women.” 44 Thus, one can say that Thatcher did not help women at all and wanted to stay away
from women issues whereas Merkel acknowledges female issues but focuses on Germany as a whole.

Part 2:

2.1 The gender aspect of Merkel and Thatcher political image:

According to the New World Encyclopedia women that gain high positions are often compared to
Thatcher. So has Tansu Çiller, Turkey's first woman Prime Minister and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia’s
first president were all compared to Thatcher and given the connotation of “iron lady”. “Golda Meir,
Israel's first female prime minister was called "the only man in the Cabinet." Richard Nixon called Indira
Gandhi, India's first female prime minister, "the old witch." And Angela Merkel, the current chancellor of
Germany, has been dubbed "The Iron Frau.”45

Female political leaders do not always promote women as a group. Thatcher did not keep herself
busy with women issues and Merkel does this more as she has a strong support of feminist groups.
Female leaders invoke masculine styles of leadership and that is because the world of politics is tough
and mostly male dominated. Women in politics still have to prove themselves. They have to prove that
they are as tough as men and as resilient. “The only way for a woman to survive in a male-dominated
field is to have sharp elbows.”46

Critics believe that it was easier for Margaret Thatcher to be accepted in the political system
compared to Merkel, this because the United Kingdom has a tradition of Queens. When Margaret
Thatcher was elected the Queen was still the head of state. Therefore Germany has never had a woman as

42
Christian Science Monitor. (2008, November 16). Merkel, Angela: Misguided modesty.
43
Id.
44
Ferree, M. M. (2006). Angela Merkel.
45
Vedantam, S. (2007, November 12). The Myth of the Iron Lady.
46
Id.

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head of state. Ferree believes that “when the presence of women in leadership positions becomes so
commonplace that people no longer point out their gender, they may be freer to stamp their work with
distinctively female qualities.”47

Alice Eagly, a social psychologist at Northwestern University and co-author of "Through the
Labyrinth," a new book about the psychological dynamics of women and leadership, explains that
“women are the nicer sex and men are more aggressive go-getters.”48 People think of leaders in terms of
men. The female leadership experiment by Eagly showed that women vying for leadership roles are
automatically assigned two labels. The first is to be seen as nice and warm, but incompetent; the second
is to be seen as competent but unpleasant.”49 Women stuck with Label A cannot be leaders.

Angela Merkel, in the early 1990’s was labeled A. She was described as naïve and harmless.
Chancellor Kohl hired her to be Minister for Women and Youth Policy and later Minister for
Environmental Affairs as he saw in her a loyal and inexperienced politician who would follow his will.
She was labeled Kohl’s Girl. Later when she became chancellor she received the B Label. She went from
“das madchen, the girl, and dumb doll to become old witch”. 50 Thatcher always had a B Label, this
because she used a less impatient strategy to become prime minister and the fact that women were more
accepted to reign in the UK.

Both Merkel and Thatcher became head of state through party promotion. According to Faridah,
who wrote “Beyond Hilary and Benazir”, noticed that “woman are more likely to serve in parliamentary
systems and more often as prime ministers than as presidents: there have been 38 female prime ministers
and 27 female presidents.”51 Studies of Whicker and Isaacs attribute the greater success of women in
obtaining prime ministerial posts to their ability to bypass a potentially biased general public and be
chosen by the party as parliamentary rules dictate.52 One can conclude that the public does not vote for
women.

Part 3: Conclusion

In the eyes of the general public nurses are always seen as woman in white outfits. The same
ideology can be used for the world of politics. A politician is most commonly pictured as a man in a dark
suite and a monotone tie. As the world changes so do norms and regulations people live by. Thanks to
47
Ferree, M. M. (2006). Angela Merkel.
48
Vedantam, S. (2007, November 12). The Myth of the Iron Lady.
49
Id.
50
Id.
51
Farida, J., & Lee, K. M. (2008). Beyond Hillary and Benazir:. Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Political Science
Association, (pp. 1-34). St. Louis.
52
Id.

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Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher, the world of politics now includes well coiffed woman in well
selected dresses and pant suits.

Throughout history the majority of politicians have always been men who were perceived as
strong powerful leaders. Angela Merkel has changed people’s ideas of what it means to be a powerful
leader. She has helped Germany grow into a stronger economy by using her patient analytical thought
process to guide the country. It was not an easy path for her as she had never imagined how superficial
and petty politics could be. As a highly educated physicist she had never thought that her looks, her hair
and her clothing choices would make such a huge impact in her political career. Being the strong leader
that she is she put her ego aside and decided to follow the shallow requirements that a female politician
needed to follow. She hired an image consultant and started dressing the way the media and the public
wanted her to. It was all for the good of her country. It is very important to realize how strong public
appearance is in all aspects of life.

Margaret Thatcher has realized how important physical appearance is in the world politics much
sooner in her career. She is the historical example of the personalization of politics.53 Thatcher was
physically very different then Merkel but their sense of leadership and ideology for the growth of they
countries was very similar. In an ideal world people would judge Thatcher by the way she ruled her
country. As most of us know the world isn’t that simple and ideal and that makes Thatcher’s eleven year
term even more remarkable. She was able to break all biases and prejudices and rule one of the world
largest economies for such a long time.

Merkel and Thatcher are always compared mainly because they probably are the most influential
female leaders in the world. They have similar ideologies but at the end they are individuals with
different thought processes and diverse ideas of how their countries should be run. Male politicians are
not compared to each other as much as Merkel and Thatcher are merely because they are women in a
mans world. In reality, Thatcher has much more in common with Ronald Reagan than with Merkel.

In conclusion, after having researched the political careers of two of the worlds leading ladies it is
clear that the political journey for a woman has many obstacles that leading men don’t have. I have
learned that when all is said and done any politician has to conform to the social norms put on to them by
the public whether they like it or not. Qualter and Kotler describe it even better, I quote: “The marketing
of politics means, of course, the reduction of politics to marketable images”.54 For Kotler, “Voters rarely
know or meet the candidates; they only have mediated images of them”.

53
McAllister, I. (2007). The Personalization of Politcs. In D. a. Klingemann, the Oxford Handbook of Political Behaviour (pp.
578-588). Oxford: University Press.
54
Wing, D. (2002). Conceptualising Political Marketing: A Framework for Election-Campaign Analysis. In O. a. Heneberg, The
Idea of Political Marketing (pp. 171-185). London: Praeger.

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Figure A:

Figure B:

14
Figure C:

Before styling After styling

Figure D

15
Figure F

Works Cited
Angela Merkel's Image Problem. (2005, November 8). Retrieved November 8 , 2009, from Spiegel.de.

Boege, J. a. (2007). A Manager at Home and a Leader Abroad? Insights into Angela Merkel’s career,
personality and leadership style. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from Hertie School of Governance:
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