Merkel condemns the killing of George Floyd: “Racism is terrible” and the political approach of Trump is “very controversial” and I will not run for a fifth term as advisor

German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned Thursday the killing of black American George Floyd in the hands of two policemen, criticizing her view of “racism” prevalent in “a highly polarized American society”.

“The killing of George Floyd is terrible,” Merkel said in an interview with the public “ZDF” channel.

Racism is terrible. American society is very polarized”.

And racism has always existed. Unfortunately, this is also happening here in Germany, expressing its hope that the current demonstrations in the United States will remain “peaceful”.

Commenting on a question about US President Donald Trump’s approach, she commented, “I think his political style is very controversial,” adding, “My demands in politics are always trying to bring people together and reconcile them with each other”.

“I work with all the elected presidents all over the world and, of course, with the American president,” she said, adding “all I can do is hope that we can work together”.

On the other hand, Merkel confirmed that she does not intend “at all” to run for a fifth term at the head of the chancellor, despite her great popularity.

She said in the interview, “Not at all”, stressing that her decision was “very firm”.

The 65-year-old chancellor has unparalleled popularity in Germany, with 71 percent of Germans asserting that they are satisfied with her performance, in a poll conducted by the public ARD channel, which was also published Thursday.

Its popularity increased at a time when Germany suffered relatively less in the crisis of the Coronavirus, compared to other European countries neighboring.

Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrat party will elect a new leader in late 2020 who will thus become the presumed candidate to succeed her as the chancellor in the federal elections in the fall of next year.