This week, I noticed two German commentaries/editorials, which talked to the end of the Chancellor Merkel era. In September, a new Chancellor will arrive, and this current era will close out.
Trying to grade Merkel? She was number eight (since 1949, the 'new' era). The general problem is that you have some pretty high-graded individuals who were in front of her (Especially with Adenauer, Brandt, Schmidt and Kohl).
Looking for scandals over the past 16 years? It's been pretty near zero.
Looking for serious missteps by Merkel? She might go and admit one single mistake per year.
Dynamic character? No, and journalists would laugh even you tried to make this point. She's more of a college professor and driven to the exact center-point on discussions and solutions.
Trying to compare against Kohl or Schroeder? Kohl left mostly because of the unfolding scandal over lobbyist money being hidden and controlled by himself. Schroeder arrived as the replacement to Kohl but never captured any great public feeling. Comedians found him rich in material, and the public numbers at the end of 1st four years were fairly dismal. He won the re-election, but almost immediately fell behind on public support.
What Germans typically want out of a Chancellor? Stability, zero-scandal, mature character, the ability to debate (meaning they rarely lose), a certain level of intellectualism, and marginal bickering behind the political curtain. That's more or less what they got since 2005, with Merkel.
From the current three possibilities (from the CDU, SPD, and Greens)....I'll go ahead and say that none of the three current front-runners seem to fit in as a replacement, and I might suggest that whoever arrives in September....will be there for a limited period of time (four years at best).
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