BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel, 64, was seen shaking in public for the second time in 10 days on Thursday, hours before she was set to depart for Japan to join world leaders at the Group of 20 summit.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel during the departure ceremony for her justice minister,  Katarina Barley, on Thursday in Berlin. Kay Nietfeld/dpa via Associated Press

But government officials said there was no reason for concern. “The chancellor is doing well; all of her appointments will be kept as planned,” a federal government spokeswoman told The Washington Post on Thursday afternoon.

Merkel has been chancellor for nearly 14 years and is known for her stamina and strong work ethic. She has no history of serious medical conditions, according to Reuters.

The trembling occurred during the departure ceremony for her justice minister, Katarina Barley, in a room inside the Bellevue Palace home of the German president, who mostly performs ceremonial functions. Merkel was handed a glass of water but did not drink it.

In 2017, Merkel was seen shaking during a visit to Mexico City. Concerns re-emerged last week when she met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin. During a ceremony in the scorching heat, the German chancellor visibly trembled. The ceremony was not interrupted, and Merkel later suggested she had been dehydrated.

“I have drunk three glasses of water now – it seems like I was lacking that,” Merkel said at a news conference. She added that she felt “very good” again.

During the departure ceremony Thursday, the Deutsche Presse-Agentur news agency reported, temperatures were normal, despite recent heat spells in parts of the country.


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