Reports have emerged that former German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be a candidate for the country's next federal president.
Modern.az reports that her office has denied the circulating claims.
Her office called the information in the press “absurd” and definitively ruled out Merkel's candidacy for this position.
The statement was made at a time when political parties are discussing possible candidates ahead of the expiration of current President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's term next year. Steinmeier will complete his second term on March 18, 2027, and cannot run again according to the constitution.
In response to an inquiry from the “Tagesspiegel” newspaper, a spokesperson for Merkel's office called the circulating reports “absurd”. To Germany's dpa agency, the spokesperson gave a direct “no” answer.
The claims came to light after the “Bild” newspaper reported rumors circulating within the Christian Democratic Party that the Greens might nominate Merkel. However, the Green Party also denied this information. Britta Hasselmann, co-chair of the party in parliament, stated that no decision or discussion regarding the federal presidential election has taken place within the party.
In Germany, the federal president is elected by the Federal Convention, which consists of Bundestag deputies and representatives of the state parliaments. Although the presidential post is largely symbolic, it represents the country internationally and holds moral authority.
After stepping down as chancellor in 2021, Merkel withdrew from active politics and has primarily focused on her personal life and writing a memoir titled “Freiheit”.
