Outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will be dismissed from office on May 5, with a grand military farewell ceremony, according to media reports. It is a traditional honor ceremony of the Bundeswehr, during which the army officially bids farewell to the chancellor.
A day later, on Tuesday, May 6, the leader of the CDU Friedrich Mertz should be elected chancellor in the Bundestag, writes Deutsche Welle.
Scholz assumed the position of chancellor on December 8, 2021, two and a half months after the elections that were held on September 26.
The war in Ukraine and the corona overshadowed the mandate of the ninth Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. Regardless of how Olaf Scholz's policy as chancellor is evaluated - one thing is certain: he deserved a break.
Apparently, the 66-year-old Scholz will remain in politics for some time. In the federal elections in his constituency, he won a direct mandate with 34 percent of the vote. During the last 20 years, Scholz has held a position in the government almost continuously. That is why, Tagesspiegel speculates, it could be difficult for him to be satisfied with only a parliamentary mandate in the future.
More time for sports and my wife
But what does a former chancellor actually do? "He runs and rows", or "writes a book", are some of the answers that can be heard if you ask his close associates, writes Tagespiegel.
On his official website, he already writes: "My wife is the one who introduced me to sports. In my school days I hated physical education, but today I run whenever I can. I try to make time for sports two to three times a week - running, rowing or hiking. We also like to ride bikes."
He met his wife Brita Ernst in the mid-eighties in Hamburg. They have been married since 1998. She is also a member of the SPD, as is Scholz. Until 2023, she was Minister of Education, Youth and Sports in Brandenburg.
In Zeit's podcast, Scholz talked about his plans after the office: "long sleep", or "hiking, going to concerts, sometimes to the cinema, to the theater. I already know how I will have fun and how to spend a beautiful life" with my wife. Speaking about his wife on the Zeita podcast, Scholz said, "Love is the most important thing. And she helps. Always!"
Traditional ceremony of the Great Supper
The spokeswoman of the Ministry of Defense told "Tagesspiegel" that "the outgoing chancellor deserves a ceremonial military farewell." The invitation for this military honor, according to established practice, is given by the Minister of Defense, who also formally acts as the host of the ceremony. The Bandlerblock parade ground in front of the Ministry of Defense in Berlin is planned as the venue, according to the ministry.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the expression "Capfenstreich" ("hitting the cork") comes from the end of the 16th century.
Today's common ceremony has its origins in the liberation wars (1813–1815). The custom of singing a short evening song after the signal for supper originates from that period. King Friedrich Wilhelm III, under the influence of a custom from the Russian army, in August 1813 ordered that a prayer be said in his troops after the evening ceremony.
