MERKEL IN GOOD SPIRITS AFTER FACING FINAL BUNDESTAG QUESTIONS

For the last time as chancellor, Angela Merkel answered the questions of German lawmakers on Wednesday - and she didn't waste the opportunity to slide in a few snappy comebacks, Ulrich Steinkohl reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

The conservative politician, who has been at the helm of German politics for over 15 years, bows out this year and plans not to run again in the Bundestag elections in September. The Bundestag meets this week for the last regular session of the legislative period before the elections.

Merkel seemed relaxed before the lawmakers, whose long-winded questions sucked up a good part of the 60-minute session, and she did not seem melancholic about her departure from politics.

In response to a question about the state of digitalization in Germany, Merkel answered: "You wouldn't believe it, but when I became the chancellor, the iPhone didn't exist yet."

She laughed when a lawmaker from the Greens - whose chancellor candidate is a woman - asked if Merkel was of the opinion that a woman should continue being the chancellor.

"After 16 years of Angela Merkel, the citizens are mature enough to make their decision on who they want as chancellor," she replied.

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