The North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament said goodbye to Armin Laschet on Wednesday with applause.
The 60-year-old CDU politician was Prime Minister of the most populous federal state for over four years.
He has been a member of the Bundestag since Tuesday.
At noon, the previous state transport minister Hendrik Wüst (46) should be elected as his successor in the special session of the state parliament.
Düsseldorf - State Parliament President André Kuper quoted the poet Hermann Hesse at the beginning of his speech with the words: "Only those who are ready to set out and travel can unleash their crippling habits." Laschet's life shows that he was always ready to set out and start again.
The Union Chancellor candidate had already decided before the federal election that he would not hold on to his offices in North Rhine-Westphalia even in the event of failure.
Kuper recalled Laschet's political positions - from the city council in his hometown Aachen to the European Parliament, earlier Bundestag years to the head of government of the largest federal state.
"You know life in the opposition and in government, the life of a minister like that of the prime minister," said the president.
Laschet with his black and yellow cabinet behind him acted quickly both during the corona pandemic and during the flood disaster, paved the way for help and took part in many personal encounters.
As Prime Minister Laschet had politically accompanied the exit from hard coal and "left no doubt about the unbreakable solidarity of our country towards Israel".
Kuper praised Laschet's “mediating way of bringing people with different positions together”.
He will now be able to use this ability in other places.
“Because you understood that to find compromises without losing your own compass;
that sets you apart from many other things. "
also read
SPD opposition leader congratulates Wüst on nomination
SPD opposition leader Thomas Kutschaty has congratulated CDU State Transport Minister Hendrik Wüst on being nominated as Armin Laschet's successor in the office of Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia.
In the event of his election by the state parliament, he wanted to lead a "substantive dispute about the best ideas for our country" with Wüst, said the SPD party and parliamentary group leader in Düsseldorf on Tuesday.
SPD opposition leader congratulates Wüst on nomination
Corpse found in Regensburg apartment: Police arrest a person - he was the victim's roommate
A male body was found in Regensburg on Thursday morning.
The police arrested a man who was the victim's roommate.
Corpse found in Regensburg apartment: Police arrest a person - he was the victim's roommate
Techno-Club Berghain reopened after Corona lockdown
More than a year and a half after the start of the corona pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, the nightlife in Berlin has returned.
The most famous club in the German capital, Berghain in the Friedrichshain district, has been celebrating for the first time since March 2020 since Sunday night - the so-called club night should continue uninterrupted until Monday.
Techno-Club Berghain reopened after Corona lockdown
After the lyrical introduction he just wanted to call out a well-known announcement from the navigation system to Laschet: “The route is being recalculated.” Dpa
