From Chirac to Blair: How Merkel compares to 3 decades of European leaders

In the West, Merkel is among the longest-serving leaders

According to German exit polls, Angela Merkel is headed toward a fourth term as chancellor of Germany on Sunday. She is currently the longest-serving leader in the European Union.

Among the European Union’s neighbors, only Russia, Belarus and Turkey have leaders who have been in power longer. 

Germany, like most European countries, does not restrict the number of terms a head of government can serve. The United States, on the other hand, does limit the president to two four-year terms.

Looking back at governments on the European continent since 1990, Ms. Merkel is now among a small cadre of leaders who served more