Former Chancellor Angela Merkel has dismissed accusations that she systematically sidelined male rivals during her political career. The "male-killing Merkel" label emerged in German political commentary during Angela Merkel's rise inside the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) . What does the 'male-killing Merkel' tag refer to? It referred to the fact that several powerful male rivals or mentors saw their careers falter while Merkel advanced, including former Chancellor Helmut Kohl . During the CDU donations scandal in 1999, Merkel publicly distanced herself from Kohl in a newspaper article that helped end his dominance over the party. High-ranking conservative Wolfgang Schäuble , who had been seen as Kohl's heir, saw his position weakened during the same scandal. He would later serve under Merkel as a minister. What did Merkel say about the label?…