The USA has a weakness for German neologisms. Especially when they involve the number one in the state personally. Under the reign of Angela Merkel, “Merkeln” became the favorite word of American commentators. It described the chancellor’s calm, considered negotiating style – as well as her unmistakable ability to sit out crises.
With Olaf Scholz at the helm of the Federal Republic, a new verb is finding its way into the comment columns of US newspapers: “scholzing” (or “scholzing”). For his fans, it describes the chancellor’s patient, deliberative nature. His critics, on the other hand, accuse him of “only communicating good intentions” without actually putting them into practice.
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