Renate Künast Reflects on Retirement After 40 Years in Politics

The veteran Green Party politician plans to step back from full-time politics but intends to remain active on issues like hate speech and nutrition.

Renate Künast, a prominent figure in Germany's Green Party, is retiring after over 40 years in politics, including two decades in the Bundestag.
Künast served as Germany's first Green Party Federal Minister for Agriculture and led the party's parliamentary group from 2005 to 2013.
She expressed mixed emotions about stepping back, citing exhaustion from long hours and recent political challenges, but remains eager to stay engaged in advocacy work.
Künast plans to focus on combating digital hate speech and promoting better nutrition, two issues she has championed throughout her career.
Reflecting on her career, Künast described politics as demanding, likening it to 'hard labor,' and emphasized the need for new leadership to take on current challenges.