German Chancellor Friedrich Merz paid tribute to Rita Süssmuth at a parliamentary ceremony commemorating the former president of the Bundestag, calling her “an exceptional politician” who was ahead of her time.
In a speech, Merz highlighted Süssmuth’s work on modern family policies and efforts to make it easier to combine work and family life. He also praised her pioneering approach to the AIDS crisis, noting her emphasis on prevention and research when she served as federal minister of family affairs, senior citizens, women and youth before becoming Bundestag president.
“Although she had sometimes been at odds with the CDU, she was a Christian Democrat with heart and soul,” Merz said. He added that Süssmuth placed human dignity and human vulnerability at the center of her politics while also championing individual self-development and doing good for all. Describing her as an idealist, Merz said her insistence on higher standards for the country was “a great blessing.”
Süssmuth served as president of the Bundestag from 1988 to 1998 and led the Frauen Union, the organization of female CDU members, from 1986 to 2001. Throughout her career she challenged patriarchal power structures and reactionary thought, according to the chancellor.
The ceremony in the Bundestag brought lawmakers together to mark the contribution of a figure who, Merz said, demanded better of Germany and helped shape debates on family policy and public health at critical moments.