Rita Süssmuth, the former President of the German Bundestag, has died. The current Parliament President, Julia Klöckner, announced the news on Sunday. The CDU politician was 88 years old.
Klöckner said she was deeply moved by the report of the death of the long‑time Bundestag President. “In the name of the German Bundestag, I bow before a political exception” she said. She called Süssmuth one of the most significant politicians in the Federal Republic. “Her energy and perseverance have impressed and inspired countless people in Germany” she added. “Our conversation shortly after my own election as President of the Bundestag is among the special and intense encounters that will always stay with me”.
Klöckner praised Süssmuth as a “passionate visionary in women’s and family policy”. She had advanced gender equality, and “until the very end she fought with seemingly boundless energy for greater representation of women in parliaments” she said.
She also highlighted Süssmuth’s groundbreaking work on the political response to AIDS. “She decisively opposed every form of exclusion and laid the foundation for successful HIV prevention in Germany” the Bundestag President added. She described Süssmuth’s approach as consistently guided by empathy, respect for the individual, and love for one another-values rooted in her Catholic faith. Süssmuth drew strength throughout her life from her special relationship with God.
Süssmuth served as Federal Minister for Youth, Family and Health from 1985 to 1988 and was President of the German Bundestag from 1988 to 1998.
