German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble is not planning to resign, despite being confined to hospital ahead of an important series of summits on the global economy, government spokespeople said Wednesday, denying earlier media reports, dpa reported
The Stern news magazine had reported that Schaeuble, 68, had offered his resignation to Chancellor Angela Merkel before being admitted to hospital on September 28.
The conservative politician is to be treated for some four weeks for sores that have not healed since an operation earlier this year. The minister has been in a wheelchair since an assassination attempt in 1990.
The magazine had quoted Schaeuble as telling a confidant that: "If after four weeks it isn't getting better, then I'll face the consequences."
However, ministry spokesman Michael Offer, who said he was in constant contact with Schaeuble, rejected the report outright.
"There was neither an offer of resignation, nor a deadline set," he said.
Offer called the report "pure speculation," despite the fact it quoted the minister indirectly and contained statements from Schaeuble's brother, Thomas.
In recent months Schaeuble has had to take repeated leaves of absence due to his health.
In May he was hospitalized during an EU emergency meeting on the euro crisis, apparently after an adverse reaction to medication, and was re-admitted to hospital after his return.
The government has maintained since the minister's most recent admittance to hospital that Schaeuble can carry out his tasks from his bed, although he will not be able to travel to IMF and G20 meetings within the next few weeks.
Government spokesman Christoph Steegmans said that a meeting of the IMF in Washington on October 8 would be attended by Bundesbank President Axel Weber, as well as Finance Ministry State Secretary Jorg Asmussen and Economic Cooperation Minister Dirk Niebel.
At the G20 Summit in South Korea in November, which is set to debate the Basel III banking regulations, Schaeuble is to be represented by Economics Minister Rainer Bruederle.
Schaeuble has been finance minister since Merkel's new government was formed in the autumn of 2009. He was previously interior minister.
In his time at the Finance Ministry, he has had to steer Germany through the eurozone crisis, and brought in the country's toughest set of budget cuts and fiscal consolidation measures since World War II