It's not just Merkel's health on shaky ground

Under glare of social media, her decision to stay mum on shaking bouts is a careful move

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's body tremor went viral in seconds, trending on Twitter. PHOTO: REUTERS
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

For a third time in less than a month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has shown signs of physical weakness, visibly shaking at a ceremony to welcome Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne in Berlin last Wednesday.

Once again, Dr Merkel, 64, played down the incident, telling a press conference: "I'm doing well. You don't have to worry about me."

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 15, 2019, with the headline It's not just Merkel's health on shaky ground. Subscribe