 Since 2017 Merkel has been seen and filmed to shake visibly on several public occasions, recovering shortly afterwards.After one such occasion she attributed the shaking to dehydration, saying that she felt better after a drink of water.After three occasions where this happened in June 2019, she began to sit down during the performances of the national anthems during the State visits of Mette Frederiksen and Maia Sandu the following month.