The German leader went 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.
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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.”
She also took a seat alongside Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, as Deutschlandlied’, also known as ‘Das Lied der Deutschen’, played out in early August.
And during a trip to China in September, Ms Merkel sat down while Prime Minister Li Keqian stood up next to her in Beijing.
Ms Merkel stood down as party chair in favour of Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer last year, paving the way for the new leader to become Chancellor in 2021.
Mr Kramp-Karrenbauer’s supporters were said to be discussing an early succession.
Additional reporting by Monika Pallenberg