Laudatory Address by Jānis Vucāns
Jānis Vucāns, former President of the BSPC, opened the tribute by recalling 1 October 2014, when Bahr was appointed Secretary General. From that day onward, he carried the responsibility of leading and shaping the Secretariat with lasting effect.
Vucāns highlighted Bahr’s unparalleled parliamentary career, spanning more than 45 years in democratic service: 33 years in the German Bundestag and the Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, followed by over ten years as Secretary General of the BSPC.
According to Vucāns, Bahr’s contribution was so formative that the names “Bodo Bahr” and “BSPC” had become virtually synonymous. His expertise in climate and biodiversity policy had left a clear mark on the Conference’s work, and his role as a “walking encyclopedia” ensured continuity through his vast institutional memory.
Concluding his remarks, Vucāns paid personal tribute to Bahr, stressing the close and trusting cooperation he had experienced and honouring the lasting imprint that Bahr had left on the BSPC.
Farewell Address by Bodo Bahr
In his response, Secretary General Bahr delivered a deeply personal farewell. He reflected on 46 years of service to parliaments, which he described as the foundation of democracy and guarantors of freedom. His lifelong motivation, he underlined, was to strengthen parliamentary power as the cornerstone of democratic societies.
Bahr evoked memories of his early career in the Bundestag during the divided years of Germany, when sessions in Berlin were restricted by the presence of the Wall and armed guards across the Spree. For him, this experience became a permanent call to ensure that such divisions must “never, never more” be allowed again.
Turning to the BSPC, he praised its unity and its rise in influence, recalling how the Conference had succeeded in bringing governments and even heads of state into its deliberations. He urged the Conference to continue using its strength and consensus for the future.
Bahr closed his speech by quoting his father’s words that true achievement is always “delicious” when born of effort and commitment. Summing up his career, he declared: “It was a pleasure and it was an honor.”