UN chief Antonio Guterres offered a job to Germany’s ex-chancellor, Angela Merkel, a report says
Merkel has been offered the top role at a “high-level advisory body on global public goods,” Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported on Wednesday, citing sources inside UN circles.
The report did not specify the scope of the advisory board’s work, but said international boards such as these deal with global issues like the ozone layer, aviation safety, and world trade.
The news agency said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres wrote a personal letter to Merkel, offering the job. However, the chances that the former chancellor will accept the post are “considered rather low,” dpa said, adding that an official response from Merkel has not yet been received.
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The UN did not comment on the matter to dpa. Merkel stepped down as chancellor last month after 16 years in power. She was Germany’s second-longest serving chancellor, as well as one of the longest-serving leaders in the EU.
Merkel has not commented publicly on the reported offer. During a campaign to elect a new UN secretary general in 2016, German and foreign media suggested that Merkel would be a good pick to lead the organization.
PassBlue, a news media that covers the UN, quoted Merkel’s spokesperson in February 2021 as saying she was not interested in replacing Guterres as UN chief.
Top UN positions are often occupied by former heads of states and veteran politicians. Guterres himself served as prime minister of Portugal, while Michelle Bachelet, who was elected twice as president of Chile, is the global body’s chief human rights envoy.