German Christian-Democrat Union candidate to the federal chancellery Angela Merkel was deeply inspired by former movie star and U.S. President Ronald Reagan during a T.V. debate when she faced her opponent Gerhard Schröder. The German conservative right-wing leader kind of borrowed the text Ronald Reagan once recited on a T.V. debate in the 1980’s before outgoing President Jimmy Carter, adapting the elements of Reagan’s speech to the German concerns.

“[…]It would be advisable for you to ask yourselves these questions: Is your situation better than it was four years ago? Is the level of unemployment higher or lower? Does the United States enjoy the same respect in the world as it did before? Do you believe that we are safer, that we are stronger than four years ago? If your answers to all these questions are affirmative, I think you already know whom you’ll vote for. But if you disagree, if you don’t like what we’ve done in these four years, then you have another solution”. R. Reagan.

“[…]You’re going to elect your president. Maybe these questions will help you decide: Is our country in a better situation than it was seven years ago? Has unemployment decreased? Is there less bureaucracy now? Are our subventions and social security safer? If you answer affirmatively to all these questions I assume that you’ve already decided for whom you’ll vote, but if you cherish the least doubt and don’t want things to go on that way, then you have a solution”. A. Merkel.

Reagan was an anti-communist actor who had been hired by three rich personalities so that he represented them politically. He used to learn and recite the texts written by that "kitchen cabinet”. By plagiarizing that speech, Mrs. Merkel showed her electors that she could also play a part.