German leader sports eye patch after jogging accident

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz posted a photo of himself wearing a black eye patch over his right eye that is surrounded by dark-red bruises — which came from a jogging incident over the weekend.

“Am excited to see the memes,” the chancellor wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, alongside the photo of himself. He also thanked those who have offered “well wishes,” adding that “it looks worse than it is!”

The government said Scholz fell while jogging Saturday, which resulted in bruises on his face. He also had to cancel some appointments Sunday, the government said.

A spokesperson for Scholz told reporters he was doing well despite the injuries. He said the photo was posted “so that everyone can get used to how he will look in the next week or two.”

“He was in quite a good mood this morning, but still looks a bit battered,” spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said.

The profile on his website says that Scholz can “best relax” while jogging and eating. He has served as chancellor since 2021 after serving as the minister of finance.

The Associated Press contributed.