The most powerful woman in Germany suffered a fractured pelvis

Jan 7, 2014 12:39 GMT  ·  By

A spokesperson for the German Chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed the news that she has suffered an accident while skiing that has caused a fracture in her hip. Though not life-threatening, the injury will require that she takes a lot of rest in the following weeks.

The 59-year-old politician was skiing in the Swiss Alps, in the Engadin region, where some of the most prominent ski resorts are located, when she had a fall. This happened during the Christmas holidays but since it only left painful bruising, it was dismissed as a simple fall.

The fractured hip was revealed by a recent visit to the doctor's in Berlin. The official report talks of “bruising in connection with a partial fracture on her left posterior pelvic ring.”

The new diagnosis means that the German Chancellor will have to cancel several appointments. This includes a trip to Warsaw planed for this Wednesday and a meeting in Berlin with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel on Thursday.

However, her spokesperson insists that her ability to perform her duties remains unimpaired. “It goes without saying that as a chancellor, she is capable of acting as well as communicating fully,” Steffen Seibert said.

She will be continuing her work from home during her convalescence. This includes her duties in leading the government, as well as holding regular Cabinet meetings.

The accident is said to have occurred at low speeds but it was not specified whether another person was involved. Merkel's injury is yet another ski-related accident, after two weeks ago, F1 champion Michael Schumacher suffered a very serious crash that left him in a coma.

At the time, Merkel sent a message wishing Schumacher a speedy recovery. Now it looks as though she finds herself in a similar position, though not nearly as life-threatening as the one the F1 driver is in at the moment.