Alexander Schweitzer (SPD) delivered on 29 October 2026 his final speech for the time being in the plenary chamber of the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament in Mainz. The 53-year-old politician, former minister-president and Federal Minister of Labour since 2026, personally bid farewell to the MPs after more than two decades of parliamentary work. State Parliament President Matthias Lammert presented Schweitzer with a fountain pen and a bottle of wine as a parting gift; the session was marked by numerous personal tributes and applause. (As at: 29 October 2026.) ([swr.de](https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/schweitzer-abschied-vom-landtag-prozess-um-google-bewertung-fck-im-achtelfinale-rlp-newsticker-2026-10-29-100.html?utm_source=openai))
Schweitzer, who served Rhineland-Palatinate in various roles and most recently held the chairmanship of the SPD parliamentary group in the state parliament had previously taken up his move to Berlin to the Federal Ministry of Labour . According to consistent reports, his farewell speech was personal, included reflections on his time in parliament and prompted laughter in the chamber on several occasions. Observers see the gesture as the formal handover of a regional leadership role he had held for a long time. ([allgemeine-zeitung.de](https://www.allgemeine-zeitung.de/politik/politik-rheinland-pfalz/schweitzers-letzte-lustige-rede-im-landtag-6613387?utm_source=openai))
There were immediate personnel consequences: the SPD parliamentary group in the state parliament elected Jaqueline Rauschkolb as his successor as group chair; in addition, Andreas Rahm was appointed as a new Vice-President of the state parliament. The personnel changes follow the functional gap left in Rhineland-Palatinate by Schweitzer's departure for Berlin. Within the party, Rauschkolb is seen as an opportunity to reorganise the group; critics also point to the challenge of stabilising a weakened state party after the state election. ([tagesschau.de](https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/rheinlandpfalz/swr-schweitzer-nimmt-abschied-im-landtag–wie-es-mit-der-spd-nun-weitergeht-100.html?utm_source=openai))
Background: Schweitzer was a defining figure in Rhineland-Palatinate politics for many years; his career includes roles in a ministry, as minister-president and as parliamentary group leader. According to reports, he remains an influential figure in the state SPD, although his new federal role shifts his political base between Berlin and Mainz. The events are documented in press reports and information from the state parliament; official statements and the MP's parliamentary profile provide biographical and role-related details. ([landtag-rlp.de](https://landtag-rlp.de/apps/mp-detail/data/pdf1/schweitzer-alexander.pdf?utm_source=openai))
Facts, attributions and assessments are presented separately here: the farewell speech and personnel decisions are documented; statements about Schweitzer's future role in the state party are assessments reported by political observers and party circles. The editorial team checked the facts against reports by SWR and Tagesschau and information from the state parliament.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).