'That’s It?' Merkel Wraps Up Her Final EU Summit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said farewell to Brussels on Friday, October 22, as her final European Union summit – the 107th she had participated in – drew to a close.

After the meeting, Merkel held a press conference alongside the German government’s spokesperson Steffen Seibert during which she discussed various challenges facing the EU.

As the conference ended, Merkel turned to Seibert and asked, “That’s it?”

“Yes” replied Seibert.

“Yes! Have a great weekend then,” Merkel told the audience with a smile.

Earlier, European Council (EC) President Charles Michel had led tributes to Merkel, describing her in a speech as “a monument” and a “compass and a shining light of our European project,” Reuters reported.

In a video delivered to the EC, former US President Barack Obama lauded Merkel as a “role model” and said he had been proud to award her the US Medal of Freedom for her “commitment to what the alliance between the United States, Germany, and Europe can mean to the world.

“Thanks to you, the center has held through many storms,” Obama said. Credit: Germany in the EU via Storyful