Bidding Adieu: Scholz's Sentimental Sendoff - The Tattoo by Bundeswehr
- *
Honor Guard on Duty for Scholz at Farewell Ceremony - Council's Response Yet Pending with Commission
After a whopping 1,832 long days in office, Olaf Scholz, the Federal Chancellor renowned for his stoic demeanor, was bid farewell by the Bundeswehr with a splendid tattoo. Despite Scholz maintaining his customary poker face as the Stabsmusikkorps played the soul classic "Respect" for him, a hint of emotion was undeniably visible.
Seated on the tribune alongside his wife Britta Ernst and most of his cabinet ministers was his successor, Friedrich Merz, with his wife Charlotte. If the CDU leader is elected Chancellor by the Bundestag on Tuesday, the transfer of power at the Chancellery will occur the same afternoon. Then, the ninth Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany will make his mark in history.
In his farewell speech on the parade ground of the Ministry of Defense, Scholz praised the imminent change of government as "an expression of democratic normality." In these turbulent times, he said, such a change taking place as civilly, collegially, and decently as observed in Germany is certainly not usual.
Scholz implored democrats to protect and uphold this civil, cordial manner of engagement. "Because it is rare," he reiterated. He stressed that "Germany is strong only when we stand together."
politics in a nutshell
Sign up for our complimentary capital newsletter - and stay updated with the pivotal news of the week, handpicked by our Berlin politics experts!
Pistorius: "You've navigated through tumultuous times with fortitude"
Scholz wished his successor Merz "good luck, good fortune, and a steady hand" for all the tasks and challenges ahead. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) lauded the outgoing Chancellor as a statesman who guided Germany through turbulent times with courage, wisdom, and restraint. "In challenging moments, you've kept your bearings," said Pistorius, who will be the only federal minister from Scholz's administration to serve in Merz's new cabinet.
The Tattoo Ceremony in the Bundeswehr, "The Großer Zapfenstreich," is deeply rooted in tradition and is used to bid farewell to all Chancellors, Federal Presidents, Defense Ministers, and high-ranking military personnel[1][2]. The esteemed guests may express three musical wishes. Scholz opted for "In My Life" by the Beatles, an excerpt from Johann Sebastian Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto No. 2," and the soul classic "Respect," which garnered global fame in Aretha Franklin's rendition. "Respect" served as a central slogan in Scholz's successful Bundestag election campaign in 2021 and propelled him to the Chancellorship.
Key Moments in German Chancellorships
Lindner prioritizes parental duties
The three-colored traffic light coalition reunited - at least partially. Former FDP ministers Marco Buschmann and Bettina Stark-Watzinger showed their respect for Scholz. However, former Finance Minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner, whose dismissal at the bitterly contested traffic light budget dispute was at Scholz's hands, was absent from the farewell ceremony. "My absence has no political motivation. Tonight, parental obligations take precedence," he conveyed on X to explain his absence.
Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck of the Greens was present, as was Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Even former Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, who had resigned in the face of widespread criticism, returned to her old stomping grounds. There was prolonged applause for Scholz as he departed the ministry's parade ground with his motorcade. If Scholz vacates office on Tuesday, he will have served longer than two of his eight predecessors, Ludwig Erhard (1963-1966) and Kurt Georg Kiesinger (1966-1969)[4]. The legacy Scholz leaves behind will be scrutinized by historians following his departure. However, one thing is clear: his "turning point" speech in the Bundestag, four days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, will be remembered[5]. Scholz shattered the taboo of not providing weapons during ongoing wars and allocated a 100 billion euro special fund for the Bundeswehr - an unprecedented moment that redefined the country. Yet, it will also be remembered that the first coalition of the traffic light (SPD, FDP, Greens) at the federal level disintegrated spectacularly. Scholz aspired to make it a project for more than one legislative period, but the coalition dissolved before it was three years old, mainly due to incessant arguments, especially over finances. Scholz will now move from the Chancellery to the backbench of the Bundestag, where he intends to stay for the entire legislative period as a directly elected member in his constituency of Potsdam. "The highest office that can be directly elected in Germany is that of a member of the German Bundestag," he expressed before the election. He's also looking forward to a bit more leisure time. "I'd like to sleep in more frequently," he once admitted in a "Zeit" podcast[6]. Starting Wednesday, he'll have the chance to do so.
- The Commission has also taken a number of steps to ensure that the Commission's proposals are implemented in a way that is consistent with the objectives of the common agricultural policy.
- In recollection of Olaf Scholz's tenure as Federal Chancellor, one might draw parallels between the discipline and tradition of the Bundeswehr and the stability and decorum characteristic of Scholz's policy-and-legislation approach in politics.
- Scholz's departure from the Chancellery has loomed over the general news, with discussions regarding the successive policies and legislations that his administration instated, particularly the unprecedented 100 billion euro special fund allocated for the Bundeswehr.
- As CDU leader Friedrich Merz prepares for his potential election as the ninth Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Scholz's legacy will be analyzed and scrutinized, not only in terms of policy but also in the broader context of German politics and its normality.
