This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/06/angela-merkel-skiing-accident
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Angela Merkel injured in skiing accident | Angela Merkel injured in skiing accident |
(35 minutes later) | |
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has fractured her pelvis during a skiing holiday in Switzerland, forcing her to cancel meetings for the next three weeks. | |
Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said on Monday the chancellor had suffered a fall while cross-country skiing in Engadin in the Swiss Alps. It was thought at first she had just suffered bruising but doctors later determined it was a partial fracture of the left interior pelvic ring. | |
Seibert told reporters Merkel was walking with the help of crutches and would need to cancel a number of official appointments but would continue to lead the government and hold cabinet meetings. | |
Merkel had originally planned to visit Poland and meet the new prime minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, in Berlin this week. | |
Merkel will lead a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, which will be the first gathering of all ministers in the new "grand coalition" government of her conservatives and the centre-left Social Democrats, which was formalised last month. | |
Seibert said Merkel's fall occurred "at low speeds" but was unable to say if another person was involved. In what seemed to be a reference to the debate over Formula One champion Michael Schumacher's much more severe skiing accident last Sunday, Seibert said: "We are assuming she was travelling at low speed." The lighthearted tone of the remark drew criticism on social media. | |
Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |