Angela Merkel left her audience gasping as she took a stumble on stage on Wednesday evening at an event of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Berlin.
The German leader was to go on stage before delivering her speech when she suddenly stumbled. She promptly managed to catch herself at the last minute. From a video posted on German media, it appears Ms Merkel had tried to climb the stage without the help of the stairs by the edge. As she made it to the lectern she joked: “I didn’t see the stairs, next time I will take them. When I will exit I will take them”
The audience appeared particularly worried, given many of them would have still had the image of Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier in mind, who fell off a stage and was seriously injured a few weeks ago because spotlights blinded him.
On this occasion, the Chancellor was lucky and proved with her calm reaction that she can not be disturbed by anything that easily.
The German Chancellor has sparked fears over her health on many public occasions in the last year.
In July, Ms Merkel began trembling as she stood for national anthems with Finland’s Prime Minister Antti Rinne.
She then chose to break with protocol the following day when she remained seated sit during the welcoming ceremony for the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Speaking in July, Ms Merkel insisted she was fine but her office gave no explanation for the repeated shaking and some within her party are asking if it is time for her to leave office.
She told reporters: “I can carry out this role. As a person, I have a strong personal interest in my health and 2021 is the conclusion of my political work. But then I hope there will be another life after politics.”
Asked how she was feeling, Ms Merkel replied: “Good.”
One insider said: “The tremors are fuelling the CDU internal debate about whether the schedule agreed between Merkel and Kramp-Karrenbauer on not changing the guard until 2021 can hold.”
In September, the German leader broke with protocol again during the welcoming reception of Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic in Berlin.
Ms Merkel took a seat beside Ms Brnabic as the Bundeswehr band played the anthems of both nations.
