GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel today sparked health concerns after she was seen visibly shaking for an entire minute during a ceremony in Berlin.
She dismissed the concerns, saying the 28C heat had caused dehydration, as she welcomed Ukraine’s new president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Merkel, 64, appeared shaky and unsteady as she stood in the midday heat today outside her office building as they watched a military display.
The chancellor pursed her lips to control the violent movement and constantly shifted her hands in an uncomfortable display.
Both politicians stood wearing suits in the 28C heat while a military band played the national anthem.
Following the musical performance, Merkel seemed better and she walked briskly down a red carpet with Zelensky, pausing briefly to greet the military band.
Asked by reporter about her wellbeing at a news conference about 90 minutes later, Merkel smiled: “Since then I’ve drunk at least three glasses of water, which I apparently needed, and now I’m doing very well.”
Zelensky said he would have come to her rescue if necessary, insisting her health is not a matter of concern.
The 41-year-old said: “She was standing next to me and completely safe.”
At a joint news conference, about an hour after the two politicians had a meeting, Merkel told reporters they had discussed bilateral issues and the Minsk peace process.
It is Zelensky’s first visit to the German capital as president.
Local reports claim it isn’t the first time Merkel has been seen shaking publicly when under the sun.
It is said this has occurred because she didn’t drink enough water at the time.
In 2014, she postponed a TV interview at the last minute due to feeling weak.
Her spokesperson said she was able to carry out the appearance after having eaten and drunk something.
It is not publicly known if Mrs Merkel, who has led Germany since 2005, has any health problems.
German privacy laws are very strict on such information being published by the media.
Merkel is frequently called the European Union’s most influential leader and the most powerful woman in the world.
She has said she will leave politics at the end of her current term, in 2021.
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