Merkel in the Bundestag: between farewell and exhibition

It is not up to Merkel that a breath of farewell briefly blows through the Bundestag. Your government statement will not be heard for the last time. On the other hand, their three potential successors have a clear message.

At first glance everything looks like it always does. Shortly before the start of the plenary session, the ranks of MPs and ministers fill up. As is so often the case, Horst Seehofer is the first on the government bench. The first item on the agenda is the Chancellor’s government statement. It will probably be her last chancellorship in 16 years.

And if you look closely, you can see that this is precisely why everything is not as always. Because the three who want to be the successor of Angela Merkel also sit in the plenary. Armin Laschet also sits in the ranks reserved for the Prime Ministers when they are guests in the Bundestag. He will later give his first speech in this House in 23 years. It is not a coincidence.

First a little small talk

Before the meeting opens, the Chancellor makes some small talk, first with Finance Minister and SPD Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz on the government bench. When Union Chancellor candidate Laschet enters the hall, she greets him personally. And just at this moment, the green candidate for Chancellor Annalena Baerbock passes them both. It is also given a few words. Nobody should be preferred. Merkel knows very well that in such moments everything is interpreted by everyone.

Then the Chancellor delivers her government statement to the European Council. It’s about corona, migration, climate change, all construction sites that the European Union still has to deal with. As usual, she speaks soberly and factually. In no subordinate clause does she mention that this will probably be her last major European policy speech before the Bundestag, there is no trace of sentimentality to be heard. Merkel remains true to herself this time too. Outward emotions are not their thing.

It is their group colleagues who do not let them get away with it so easily. The applause is long, unusually long, and it continues even after Merkel has long since returned to the government bench. She puts the speech folder and a ballpoint pen neatly next to each other, folds her hands. It seems a bit embarrassed, as far as you can see it behind her mask, and she nods in thanks to her colleagues.

Triell in the Bundestag

The breath of farewell is quickly gone. The exhibition of their potential successors begins. Vice Chancellor Scholz makes the start. The SPD politician would also like to take over the executive chair himself after the federal election, but first wants to use the opportunity to, as he says, get rid of a message on the special occasion. “I would like to thank the Chancellor for the cooperation in European policy over the past four years.” Much progress has been made for Europe together. In doing so, he also praises himself at the same time.

Then comes Laschet. He promotes cohesion in Europe and open internal borders, including in the corona pandemic. Freedom and human dignity are the real heart of Europe. The CDU politician speaks against constant heckling from the AfD parliamentary group. And he makes it clear that the SPD and the Greens can no longer agree on the one hand to a common foreign and security policy and at the same time reject certain projects in the “small-small” domestic policy.

Baerbock was the last to speak, because he was a member of the smallest opposition faction. Of all three, she seems the most aggressive. She too thanks Merkel for her European policy and criticizes the CDU and CSU in the same breath: “Very, very many people in this country are grateful that you have held this Europe together in crisis situations over the past 16 years.” Merkel prevailed against great resistance in her own parliamentary group and, above all, from her sister party, the CSU. But stability alone is no longer enough. Baerbock is pushing for the EU economic area to be modernized in a climate-neutral way.

And Merkel? Must go on to Brussels

Merkel looks and listens to all of this on the government bench, her facial expressions remain hidden behind the mask. It doesn’t last until the end of the debate. She is still waiting for the speech of the outgoing SPD MP Martin Schulz. She does him the honor again, after all, he is one of the many men who have lost to her in the past four federal elections. At 10:29 a.m. Merkel picks up her bag and leaves the plenary chamber for the EU summit. She still has work to do. Farewell has to wait.