Five well-known politicians say goodbye to the government district in Wiesbaden.

The long-time President of the State Parliament, Norbert Kartmann (CDU), 73 years old and no longer fit, will give up at the end of the year.

In addition, four members of the cabinet announced within a few weeks that they would not stand again next autumn.

At first glance, it may seem as if this has something to do with the recent change in the position of prime minister.

But the timing is more likely due to the fact that the state parliament candidates are being nominated in the constituencies.

Anyone who does not want to run again must declare this now so that the parties can nominate a successor.

The motives are individual, but can be understood.

Interior Minister Peter Beuth had to give way to Boris Rhein (both CDU) in the competition for the post of head of government.

With the announced withdrawal, the consequence is that he can no longer be in politics than he has been for almost a decade.

Minister of Social Affairs Kai Klose (Die Grünen) proved to be overwhelmed in the pandemic, not only from the opposition's point of view.

Decide to say goodbye on your own

If he's had enough of years of stress, that's a plausible reason to stop at the age of almost 50.

His party friend, Environment Minister Priska Hinz, entered the state parliament for the first time in 1983, almost 40 years ago, and will reach retirement age at the beginning of the next electoral term.

She would have caused astonishment in her own party if she wanted to continue.

Lucia Puttrich, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, is a little younger than Hinz, but has been a professional politician since she was elected mayor of Nidda in 1995.

Her departure from politics is not premature either – on the contrary: Puttrich and one or the other CDU minister, who is also more closely associated with Rhein’s predecessor Volker Bouffier, could have used the change in the state chancellery in the summer as an opportunity to leave the cabinet.

In doing so, they would have given the new prime minister the chance to campaign for these positions with personnel he had selected.

But wait: politicians should at least be able to decide for themselves when they say goodbye.