Germany's Merkel Has Second Bout of Shaking During Ceremony
Germany's Merkel Has Second Bout of Shaking During Ceremony
(Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday had a second brief spell of shaking in just over a week, renewing questions over the state of her health.
Merkel, 64, was seen trembling briefly and clasping her hands as she stood alongside President Frank-Walter Steinmeier during a swearing-in ceremony for the new justice minister, according to footage on German TV channel NTV. Moments later she appeared to be fine when she appeared in the plenary of the Bundestag, the country’s parliament.
The chancellor is due to travel to a summit of G-20 leaders in Osaka, Japan, later on Thursday.
Merkel is doing fine and will continue with her agenda as planned, her spokesman Steffen Seibert said.
On June 18 Merkel momentarily shook during a ceremony with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Then, she said it was the result of not drinking enough water. In subsequent days she also appeared to be fine, joking about the incident.
Last year, Merkel gave up her role as leader of the Christian Democrats and plans to leave politics after her term as chancellor ends with the next national elections, slated for 2021. She has come under pressure to step aside after the ruling parties did poorly in European elections in May and her coalition threatens to fall apart.
Merkel is in her 14th year as chancellor.
--With assistance from Patrick Donahue.
To contact the reporter on this story: Raymond Colitt in Berlin at rcolitt@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Andrew Blackman, Patrick Donahue
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