Baroness Margaret Thatcher was one of the greatest British politicians of the 20th century. The announcement of her death led to contradictory reactions.

Beyond statements at the official level, people either expressed their deep emotions or felt relieved and sometimes celebrated. In parallel with this, analysts embarked on an attempt to briefly comment on her record and achievements by either praising or criticizing them.

A comprehensive assessment of Thatcher's contribution to domestic and international history can be based on four different pillars: political, economic, social and international ones.

To start with, the political triumph of Thatcher is unquestionable. She managed to stay in power for the longest period since Lord Liverpool at the beginning of the 19th century, winning three consecutive general elections. In that regard, results can speak for themselves and further comments are rather useless.

Thatcher will take a special place in British politics as a successful prime minister who also broke the tradition of men in this position. It is not a coincidence that many leaders - even from the Labour Party - such as former prime minister Tony Blair admired her and endeavored to pursue part of her agenda.

Furthermore, from an economic perspective, Thatcher can be considered as an inspiring figure of a relatively new ideology based on free enterprise. Her impact was so powerful that a notion including her name was soon formed: Thatcherism. Principal parameters of the term included a small role for the state, low tax, individualism and privatization.

A flourishing debate still exists regarding the implications of Thatcher's support for free markets. Her critics see her policy as a precursor for uncontrolled and unaccountable deregulation also seen during the current global financial crisis. Her supporters, nevertheless, deconstruct this argument and portray the Baroness as advocating for stringent bank regulation by emphasizing cases such as the 1986 Financial Services Act.

The economic recipe of Thatcher went hand in hand with her social policy. Her role was rather annoying and unpleasant for workers.

She almost demolished industrial and labor unions. Several confrontations with steel, teaching and railway workers as well as with civil servants reflected her will to transform the nature of the decision-making process in Britain. They also demonstrated her decisiveness to implement reforms and change employment laws overcoming domestic obstacles.

This adamant stance along with the Baroness' insistence on public spending cuts - for instance by local authorities - generated waves of anger and ire, especially among the left. Even nowadays young people, who had not experienced the pain of reforms during her administration, tend to express their antipathy as if they had lived then.

As far as the international role of the Baroness is concerned, she will be principally remembered for her strong anti-Soviet rhetoric and the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985. She championed the principle of realism and certainly preserved Britain in the realm of great powers.

But Thatcher's policy, which certainly has a significant impact on current developments, is her European one. The project of further European integration and especially the idea for a monetary union were almost considered an anathema from her part.

Her hesitant stance in joining European illusions has proven to be prophetic. The ongoing discussion on whether Britain should remain part of the European Union reflects parts of her thinking as long as the eurozone follows down the path of disintegration.

There is no question that the policy of Thatcher divides elite and public opinion almost at all levels. In spite of agreements or disagreements on her effectiveness in different issues, there is consensus over one major theme. This was the Baroness' appetite for change.

Thatcher had a real passion to stick to her reform policy agenda. She was determined to carry out her plans without necessarily counting on the short-term political price. She was decisive to systematically break stereotypes and disassociate the government from old-fashioned mentalities without giving ground to old-guard politicians as well as to protestors. She was on the whole sincere with her commitments without deceiving public opinion.

All in all, Thatcher was a leader. Her reputation has both positive and negative elements. Her political skills and statecraft, however, are acknowledged even by her adversaries.

The current leadership gap in Europe highlights the absence of politicians such as the Baroness maybe more than ever in the modern history of the Old Continent. Her paradigm can constitute a model for the ones who are rich in ideas but poor in implementation capacity.

The author is a research fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn