Singer Herbert Grönemeyer (66) was never tempted to meet Angela Merkel (68), as he reveals in a "Stern" interview. He explained that he had been invited to the Chancellery twice by the former Chancellor, "I declined both times."

For him, Merkel is someone "whom I still haven't understood to this day," Grönemeyer explained, adding that Merkel saw through men in politics like no other. "Why did she misjudge Putin so badly? That was the man whose language she speaks and whom she knew almost the longest during her chancellorship."

It is "a mystery" to him, Grönemeyer continued about the former chancellor, "why her instincts failed so much with Putin. Even after the annexation of Crimea, she continued to rely on him. She supported the contract for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project ".

In addition, Herbert Grönemeyer, whose new album "Das ist los" will be released on March 24, says about Merkel in "Stern": "In her lack of openness to criticism, she also came across as almost autocratic. Apparently, Ms. Merkel didn't like contradictions." The artist in "Stern" also criticizes Chancellor Olaf Scholz (64), whose communication he finds "overall dramatically bad". Robert Habeck (53), Annalena Baerbock (42) and Cem Özdemir (57) fare better at Grönemeyer in this respect. In general, "in the current coalition, attempts are being made to communicate in such a way that citizens at least understand what is at stake," said the musician.