German Chancellor Angela Merkel Collapses At Bayreuth Opera Festival

German Chancellor Angela Merkel fainted while attending the prestigious Wagner Festival in Bayreuth, Germany, according to German news sources and Business Insider.

Merkel, 61, reportedly fell from her chair inside a Bayreuth restaurant. She was out for a few minutes before others helped her back up. The incident is said to have occurred during the first break of "Tristan and Isolde" -- one of Richard Wagner's operatic masterpieces known for its stylistic innovation. Saturday's performance of the opera, directed by the composer's great-granddaughter Katharina Wagner, was also the opening gala of this year's festival, a monthlong German cultural institution that dates back to the 19th century.

Merkel was photographed earlier in the day in Bayreuth on the red carpet, smiling alongside husband Joachim Sauer.

These are stressful times for the chancellor, whose government has led successful, if controversial, efforts to keep Greece in the eurozone. On the brink of economic collapse, the Mediterranean state recently agreed to a third financial bailout from European lenders, although critics have slammed the terms of the agreement for being unnecessarily harsh. Merkel -- and especially Wolfgang Schäuble, her finance minister and fellow Christian Democratic Union party member -- are widely seen as the enforcers of those strict terms.

It remains unclear if Merkel was injured. She was later asked for her thoughts on the opera and remarked: "I liked it very much."