Berlin, January 26, 2023 – The 20th German Bundestag was officially opened today by Gregor Gysi of the Left Party, the oldest member of the parliament, following a change in the rules. Alexander Gauland of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) was initially set to open the session, but the change in rules counted parliamentary service towards the age of the oldest member, making Gysi the senior member.
Gysi’s opening speech touched on various topics, including the conflict in Ukraine, the importance of remembering and learning from Germany’s history and the need for social and economic reforms. He emphasized the importance of supporting Israel, but also called for solidarity with the Palestinians in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Gysi also spoke about the need for the government to address the issue of education, calling for a more equal and accessible system. He suggested that Germany could learn from countries like France and Finland in this regard.
The politician also touched on the issue of migration, stating that the country needs to allow for the immigration of 400,000 skilled workers. He proposed the establishment of cross-party committees in the Bundestag to address issues such as pension reform, tax fairness and the reduction of bureaucracy.
In the context of international politics, Gysi expressed support for Denmark and called for a re-evaluation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the event of a new US president’s plans to withdraw from the organization.
Finally, Gysi proposed the establishment of May 8 as a national holiday in Germany, commemorating the end of World War II in Europe and called for a more consistent approach to national holidays in the country.