German Chancellor Angela Merkel has released a statement saying that she is still fit to lead the nation after being filmed shaking with intense visible tremors on multiple occasions.
Many politicians and citizens have been questioning if she is healthy enough to continue.
“I can carry out this role… I have a strong personal interest in my health and, as I said, 2021 is the conclusion of my political work”, the chancellor said during a press conference in Berlin, joking that she hopes “there will be another life [after politics].”
The first incident took place when she was meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in June. Her office claimed that it was due to the heat.
Approximately one week later Merkel was filmed shaking once again, this time in an air conditioned office.
Following another shaking episode, Merkel broke from standard procedure and sat down in a chair during a welcoming ceremony for Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
A German poll published over the weekend found that 59 percent of the nation view the shaking, and Merkel’s health, as a “private” matter, while 34 percent believe that it is a matter of public interest.
Hans-Georg Maassen, the former President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany’s domestic security agency, has urged the public to understand that a leader’s health is not a private matter.
Der Gesundheitszustand eines Regierungschefs ist keine Privatsache. Die Menschen in Deutschland haben ein Recht zu erfahren, ob der Regierungschef gesundheitlich noch in der Lage ist, sein Amt mit ganzer Kraft auszuüben. (hgm) https://t.co/iWbpJ360tW
— Hans-Georg Maaßen (@HGMaassen) July 11, 2019
“The state of a political leader’s health is not a private matter,” Dr Maassen tweeted. “The people in Germany have a right to know whether their leader is still physically in a position to fulfill her office with all her strength.”
