Last Bundestag session: Farewell to the lectern: Kühnert’s appeal to democracy

It is the very last speech of a memorable 20th legislative period in the German Bundestag. At the desk, Kevin Kühnert, who was considered the largest policy talent of the SPD at the beginning of Olaf Scholz’s chancellorship. Nothing has been heard from him for four months since he resigned as SPD general secretary for health reasons. But the 35-year-old wants to give the parliament a little: “We protect what we love, we protect our democracy,” he appeals to the MPs. “I will do this from the outside in the future. Please do it from here.”

Kühnert will not belong to the next Bundestag, he no longer runs, and does not make an election campaign for his party. In October he had to admit: he can no longer. “I need the energy that is necessary for my office and an election campaign for the foreseeable future to get well again,” wrote Kühnert at the time. You don’t know how he is doing today. “Reasonable,” said the party leader Lars Klingbeil, who was also friends with Kühnert. They would have exchanged the US elections – “and you can tell that it is still highly political”.

Kühnert holds democratic fundamental speech

You can also feel that at the Bundestag speaker. Kühnert speaks quickly, he has little speaking time as the last speaker. What he says would have been well fitted into the highly emotionally guided debate of the past few weeks when the Union accepted that he would be dependent on the votes of the AfD for applications and a bill.

It is quite possible that exactly this scandal Kühnert motivated to his last appearance. He speaks of responsibility before history and addresses warning words to the plenum. Politics must have the ear from the people, but not speak to him, but also put something to do. Chancellor such as Konrad Adenauer, Willy Brandt and Helmut Kohl would have struggled to convince. “Many of them probably still have the inner conviction, right -wing radicals should be left on the right,” the young Berliner told the MPs. “I believe that – but they give up the struggle and I criticize that.”

A second farewell with damp eyes

It is the end of a debate that leaves the Bundestag deeply disputed 12 days before the election. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his most promising challenger Friedrich Merz once again fought a bitter exchange of blows. At the end, the question remains open how both parties should find back in possible coalition negotiations for the good tone and trusting handling.

But the almost four -hour, last Bundestag session before the election also had emotional moments. Bundestag Vice President Yvonne Magwas (CDU) said goodbye to standing applause of all fractions except the AfD. The Saxon CDU MP had previously justified its withdrawal with the social climate that had become considerably rougher. Insults, threats, indifference, all of this had stolen their strength.

Beethoven instead of the Bundestag

Other, partly long -time MPs are also breaking new ground. Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) would like to follow Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann after the state election in Baden-Württemberg in the spring of 2026. Özdemir moved into the Bundestag for the first time in 1994 and had his last day as a member of the Bundestag.

“It’s a strange feeling. After all, I spent a lot of time in the Bundestag, already in Bonn and now here in Berlin,” said the 59-year-old. The Green politician looked a bit wistful for a missed opportunity: “After Kevin Kühnert’s speech, I thought that a farewell speech might not have been so bad,” he said. His party colleague Renate Künast wants to make room for younger people at the age of 69.

The longest -serving MP, Peter Ramsauer from the CSU, says “Servus” in the Bundestag after 34 years. He pulls him into the music, he told the German Press Agency. “The practice room for the piano has been set up, the concert grand, the big one is brought up to scratch. So nothing stands in the way of the whole 32 Beethoven sonatas and the entire Chopin literature.”

Petra Pau from the left is after 27 years of the Bundestag at the age of 61 – but wants to remain politically active. In conversation with the dpa, she criticized the tone in parliament. “This has also changed in parliament in the last six or seven years, as in society.” Personal attacks, defamation, also views of very personal discussion would have increased. Ramsauer also makes a new roughness in dealing with. “What you offer and have to put up with insults, threats, almost to the limit of criminal liability with one, you need a really thick fur.”

The next Bundestag will be smaller

So far, other MPs can only suspect that they may have just participated in their last Bundestag session. This is also due to the fact that the new parliament will be smaller at its first session at the latest 30 days after the election. The new voting right limits the size to 630 MPs – instead of 736 last.