Merkel Can't Park

There's no way around it. Merkel is, in her own words, "a bad driver."

She took so long to get her driving license back when she was a 26-year-old student that she had to resort to bribing her instructor to speed up the process.

Speaking to a celebrity audience at the Golden Steering Wheel awards last week, Merkel said that after 38 lessons she still wasn't any closer to taking her test. So she acted on advice from a friend who said she should offer her instructor cash "tips" in exchange for driving tips.

"After that I got my license right away," Merkel said of the early practice she received in under-the-table deal making that may have come in handy as she climbed the political ladder.

Though she is seldom willing to give ground politically, it seems that Merkel is at least a considerate driver -- she hasn't gotten behind the wheel since taking office.

Chancellor has parking problems

The chancellor, currently the most powerful woman in the world, also admitted to needing a diminutive car because she can't park.

Currently the happy owner of an Audi, she said if she had a lot of money, she'd buy a Mini. "It's practical, small and pleasant to look at and yet has a certain rakish style," Merkel said of the car.

Experts cannot agree if this was wise comment in a country where size really does matter -- the bigger (and faster) the car, the better.

Merkel, however, is certainly differentiating herself from her predecessor Gerhard Schröder. He was nicknamed the "Car Chancellor" because of his love of cars and pro-automobile industry policies.

If she doesn't watch out, the current chancellor could be tagged "Mini Merkel."