Merkel will not run for German presidency: “This is absurd"

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said during the presentation of her memoirs in Bucharest that she does not intend to run for the presidency of the Federal Republic of Germany and considers such a proposal absurd.

TodayPress TV reports, citing the Agerpres news agency, that Merkel made the remarks during the event.

“As for the office of Federal President... This is absurd. I do not want to deal with it. I have spent 30 years in politics, including 16 years as Federal Chancellor. I enjoyed the job very much, although it was very demanding and complicated. I enjoyed it, but now I am very happy that I can devote myself to other things in life,” Merkel said in response to a question about whether she had been offered the opportunity to become the next Federal President.

According to the former chancellor, there are many other wonderful things to do in life.

It should be noted that a poll conducted ahead of the presidential election scheduled for January showed Merkel leading the list of potential candidates for the German presidency. According to a survey conducted by the Forsa Institute for RTL and ntv among 1,000 respondents on August 5–6, Germans were divided over Merkel’s potential candidacy. While 47% of respondents considered her a suitable candidate, 48% held the opposite view.

The election of Germany’s next president is scheduled for January 30, 2027. The Federal President is the highest-ranking official in Germany. Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) has served as Germany’s president since 2017.

Giymat Mahir