German media struggles to cover Merkel’s mysterious trembling

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s second outbreak of shakes in nine days has prompted speculation about an early departure from office after 14 years, and plunged German media outlets into a reporting dilemma.

On Thursday morning, Merkel began shaking visibly alongside President Frank Walter Steinmeier during a ceremony in Berlin.

Merkel looked to an aide for assistance but refused a glass of water when offered, holding her arms before her with her lips pressed together tightly.

She departed on Thursday evening for the G20 summit in Japan as planned and journalists travelling with her said she appeared completely normal on the plane and during her statement on arrival, though she took no questions.

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In Osaka, Merkel delegation members told travelling press the second shaking spell on Thursday was caused when, for a moment, the chancellor thought of the first shaking episode.

Nine days previously, after shaking uncontrollably in 29 degree heat, Merkel attributed her turn to dehydration.

On Friday, as after the first incident, a Merkel spokesman said the chancellor was feeling fine.

Speculation rife

But the mysterious explanation for the second shaking spell threw up more questions than answers and has revived rather than dampened speculation. And that has created a dilemma for media outlets in Germany, a country that places a high cultural value on privacy. How to report in a fair way on the health of a politician who, even by German standards, is remarkably private?

On Thursday evening and Friday morning, many public radio and television bulletins skirted the issue or mentioned it only in passing. By contrast the Bild tabloid pulled no punches, asking on Friday: “How sick is the chancellor?”.

It canvassed doctors for their opinions, many of whom refused to make a long-distance diagnosis. Those who did had theories ranging from a kidney infection to diabetes, multiple sclerosis or medication side-effects. Other outlets suggested, after 14 crisis-filled years in office, it was simply exhaustion.

“No doubt this can happen to a woman who has practically no breaks in her calendar,” wrote Berlin’s Tagesspiegel daily. “But it is the second time in eight days and slowly the shaking has the makings of a political issue.”

Health problems

Some have recalled what seemed like a throwaway remark at last December’s gathering of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU). She handed over the party leadership but promised to stay on as chancellor until 2021 – so long as her health allowed.

Others have recalled the long line of German politicians who have concealed health problems.

Helmut Kohl, Merkel’s political mentor, once sat through a party conference wearing a concealed catheter rather than enter hospital for prostate treatment and create an opening for rivals.

During a second spell in hospital, for a knee operation, Kohl’s spokesman said he had a cold.

West Germany’s first chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, also had regular colds in the 1960s – in fact lung infections. Over in the Social Democrat camp Helmut Schmidt, chancellor for eight years until 1982, had fainting spells while his predecessor Willy Brandt’s depression and days of silence remained a secret until after his resignation in 1974.