Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) visited her previous constituency 15 in northeast Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania three days before the federal election.
“I wanted to say Arrivederci again,” Merkel explained to a flower seller at the weekly market in Greifswald.
The 67-year-old will no longer run in the Bundestag election on Sunday.
Since 1990 Merkel has won the directorship of the Bundestag eight times in a row.
As Chancellor, she is leaving office after 16 years.
In Greifswald, she walked through the pedestrian zone and visited shops with the new candidate for the CDU direct mandate, Georg Günther, and the CDU top candidate for the state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Michael Sack. She was surrounded by surprised passers-by and kept stopping for selfies. Then she drove to Bad Sülze and Marlow. Merkel was already on a farewell tour on Rügen this week.
"It was always an honor for me to stand for this constituency," said Merkel on the sidelines of the visit to the bird park.
It was the third time she visited the park since 2012.
There they fluttered around whole flocks of brightly colored Lori parrots, which ate out of her hand.
One of the Australian parrots even landed on her head.
In her hand she held a small paper cup with "Lori nectar" made from dried pollen, fruit sugar, grain and water.
The budgies were also trusting and let her feed them millet.
Merkel was only cautious about the adult European eagle owl.
She didn't want to hold the approximately 60 centimeter tall owl with the big eyes.
"No, no.
I did well with the parakeets. ”Günther then held the eagle owl with the appropriate falconer's glove.
The Marlow bird park (Vorpommern-Rügen district) covers 22 hectares of parkland.
Birds from all over the world can be seen, including the blue-necked ostrich from Africa or the kea from New Zealand.
In the pre-Corona year 2019, the zoo reported a record of 261,000 visitors.
The district of Vorpommern-Rügen as well as the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, the city of Greifswald and the Landhagen district belong to constituency 15.
This time it could be tight for the CDU in the direct mandate.
It is unclear whether the 33-year-old tax auditor Günther will be able to follow in Merkel's footsteps.
On the sidelines of her visit to the salt museum in Bad Sülze, Merkel said that a lot had been achieved in her constituency in recent years.
But what has been achieved must always be secured.
There will be a lot to do for her possible successor as a member of the Bundestag.
These included health care in rural areas, municipal finances and the further development of tourism.
In parallel to the federal election, the state election will take place in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday.
As the ZDF Politbarometer Extra published on Thursday shows, the SPD in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has 39 percent a few days before the election.
The previous coalition partner, the CDU, would then have 14 percent and the AfD 16. The left made up 11 percent, the Greens received 7 percent and the FDP 5.5 percent.