"Change is Needed to Get Germany Moving"

DW-TV: Unless the pollsters are completely wrong, the Christian Democrats (CDU) will win the general election on Sept. 18 and you will become the first woman to lead Germany. Are you already planning your move into the chancellery?

Angela Merkel: We will fight until the end since we know the voters will only decide the outcome on election day. That's why I won't count my chickens before they're hatched, but we are well prepared to take over the responsibilities of governing.

Abroad you are often compared to a famous British prime minister. Do you want to be the German Margaret Thatcher?

I think such comparisons are always a bit off the mark. Margaret Thatcher was just as excited about German reunification as I was. On the other hand, it's correct that we're in a phase when Germany also needs to undergo further reforms. That means you can look at the broad success of some of Margaret Thatcher's reforms as an example, but overall I'm me and Germany is Germany.

You spent the first three decades of your life in East Germany and came to politics late. Who is your inspiration politically?

I don't have just one political role model. Clearly I learned the most from Helmut Kohl, since I served in his cabinet for eight years. That's were I experienced my greatest introduction to politics. And I think the way he shaped German reunification and how he stood for Europe as the European Union is an example of historic dimensions.

Helmut Kohl is a man -- which women in politics do you most admire?

Unfortunately there aren't that many. I've had to deal with the same kinds of hairstyle stories that Hillary Clinton has and we've already talked about Margaret Thatcher. I've forged my own way and both men and women have been part of that as role models or people that I admire, but there certainly could be more women.

The tax proposals of your designated finance minister, Paul Kirchhof, are opposed by many members of your own party. His flat tax rate of 25 percent is thought to upset German sensibilities toward equality and fairness.

What should be debated is our election platform. And Paul Kirchhof joined my team of advisors because he sees our platform as two thirds of the way to a truly simplified tax system. Now we'll have our hands full just implementing that and there is plenty of discussion since we'd get rid of plenty of exceptions with this election platform. That means we have to take it step by step, thinking about what could come after that isn't forbidden. Paul Kirchhof has proposals that go further, but they, of course, would first have to be discussed. I made him part of my team of advisors because he's a man that doesn't forget the forest by looking at the trees. Sometimes we get so caught up in details that we lose greater vision and that won't happen with Paul Kirchhof.

Creating new jobs and stirring domestic demand are your economic priorities. But why raise the value added tax (VAT) when that would instead dampen consumption?

We have to think over in what order we implement various measures. It's important for me that jobs have priority and that means we have to halt the process that costs us over 1,000 social-security paying positions each day. To do that we need a bundle of measure that cut non-wage labor costs, such as lowering unemployment insurance contributions. And if we don't want to do that by borrowing -- increasing the debt -- then the only way is to raise indirect taxes elsewhere. We are telling people that ahead of the election because we know -- or at least I'm convinced -- that this step will create more jobs which will give people the security to start spending again. You can't force people to make purchases, they have to feel confident about the future and the only way I can ensure that is by improving the labor market in Germany.

You have been accused during the campaign of not taking a clear position on the war in Iraq. Should Germany support the United States in this war?

I have always said that under a conservative-led government there would be no German soldiers in Iraq. During the first Gulf war under Chancellor Helmut Kohl there were no German soldiers in Iraq and there's absolutely no reason to change that. The criticism was about something else. The criticism started because the chancellor and the government committed themselves very early and in my opinion then weakened the international pressure on Saddam Hussein that possibly could have meant that we never would have had to have this war. As it turns out it did. But I can say to everyone: no German soldiers in Iraq.

US President Bush supports Turkey's bid to join the European Union. You are strongly against it. The makings of a new transatlantic row?

Regarding transatlantic ties, it's not about always having the same opinion. That was never the case with Germany and the United States of America. I have indeed a different opinion about Turkey's full membership. Turkey should be bound tightly to Europe in security and geo-strategic questions in order to shape foreign policy together. Turkey is a member of NATO so that could be easily done. But the internal market -- European integration is rather deep at this point -- and I believe the European Union would be overwhelmed if Turkey were accepted as a full member. And I think we should we should clearly tell Turkey now, instead of in 10 or 15 years, that the public in some European countries, for example France which has referendums, aren't prepared to support its bid. That would create much greater foreign policy problems, which I'd like to avoid.

As chancellor, would you try to stop accession negotiations or would you simply ensure that such negotiations made membership impossible?

I'd do what is always done in foreign policy if we get the chance. That is, pacta sunt servanda, which means the next government would stick to the responsibilities of the preceding government. If Turkey fulfils the requirements, then accession negotiations will start. They are considered to be without a predetermined outcome so we could then bring our ideas to the negotiating table, naturally. But they would be in the context of what our predecessors have already agreed to.

I noticed in the televised debate with the chancellor that you and Chancellor Schröder overall treated each other fairly and with respect. Does that herald the coming of a so-called grand coalition or is it simply that you don't really dislike one another?

I don't think either is the case. It was just important that such a duel about discussing where Germany is going was done in a reasonable format. But I believe a grand coalition would mean a total standstill, that's why I'm fighting for change and a change with the Union and FDP (The free-market liberal Free Democratic Party). Such change is needed to get Germany moving again. All other possible political constellations that one can imagine are either inefficient as a grand coalition or weak like red-red-green (SPD, Left Party, Greens) for example or a so-called traffic light coalition with SPD, FDP and Greens. They all wouldn't bring Germany forward a single millimeter and that's why I tell people: This time vote CDU so we can have true change.