Praise poured in from across the political spectrum for former German chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday as she chose to celebrate her 70th birthday privately with those closest to her, according to her spokeswoman. German politicians have already offered their congratulations and paid tribute to Merkel, who stood at the helm of Europe’s largest economy for 16 years. She was the first woman to hold that job. Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised his predecessor, stating that she could “look back on an impressive political career.” “She began brilliantly with the triumph of democracy in East German…