German Chancellor Friedrich Merz  paid tribute to Rita Süssmuth as a "great politician" and a "guiding light for our democratic society." Süssmuth died on Sunday, less than two weeks before she would have turned 89. As a federal minister and president of the German Bundestag during the 1980s and 90s, Süssmuth had been "a role model and a pioneer, not least for gender equality and the political influence of women," Merz said. He stressed that she'd fought for a modern and open society and set