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Politics
Photo: DPA

Top texter Merkel not aflutter about Twitter

Published: 7 Jan 13 07:50 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20130107-47171.html

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly has no plans to open a personal Twitter account, despite a looming election and her notorious affinity for sending text messages with her mobile phone.

While the US president, Britain's prime minister and even Pope Benedict XVI
"tweet" on the popular online message service, newsweekly Der Spiegel on Monday noted that 58-year-old Merkel remains "abstinent" although the conservative Christian Democrat is fighting for re-election in September.

"No, there aren't any concrete plans," the magazine quoted her spokesman Steffen Seibert as saying, who himself is active on Twitter and has more than 83,000 followers.

Merkel's main opposition challenger in the elections, Peer Steinbrück, has a Twitter account on which it states that his centre-left Social Democratic Party team tweets and "now and then" he himself does.

Der Spiegel quoted a Twitter spokesman as saying they would "of course be glad" if Merkel, who is famous in Berlin political circles for her rampant use of SMS text messages, joined the messaging platform.

AFP/The Local/mry

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

08:57 January 7, 2013 by www.emungus.net
Chancellor Merkel is right. The web is inhabited by unrefined gals and unpolished lads. She may run the risk of being savaged. Keep straight Angie, you are a wise and smart woman -as usual !
11:59 January 7, 2013 by blackboot11
what year is that fone from? and its probably a pre paid plan to boot...LOL!
17:13 January 7, 2013 by raandy
What no Tweets, good for you Mrs Merkel.
22:11 January 7, 2013 by arnomd
Yes, the German angel better perform well on long term issues, than wasting time by obeying the silliness of continuously being of current interest.
20:11 January 8, 2013 by raandy
arnomd ya man, it is what it is but it is better than what it was.
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