Germany's Green Party kicks off election campaign

In the midst of very turbulent times, around 800 delegates from Germany's Green Party are meeting in Wiesbaden from November 15-17 for a party conference where they hope to reinvent themselves.

Robert Habeck, the vice chancellor and economy minister in the minority government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, is expected to be elected as the Greens' top candidate in the campaign.

Habeck told DW that the convention will be a forum to look ahead, rather than back. "First of all, we have to talk about what is happening right now. All the crises, conflicts, and challenges: Why is there so much conflict?"

He stressed that the Greens need to focus on the country's most pressing problems, such as the creation of more affordable housing and making electricity and heating cheaper. The Greens will focus on these topics no matter whether they end up in government or in opposition, Habeck said.

Greens position themselves after the government collapse

The center-left coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and the neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) collapsed on November 6 after three years in office and months of infighting about the 2025 budget. The ongoing conflicts in the government over climate action and social and economic policy were a source of frustration, and there has been much discontent among the Green's base when they voted to tighten asylum and migration policies.

After the early election scheduled for February 23, the Greens may well find themselves in the opposition again. However, Habeck has said he is not giving up hope of getting more than the 11% of votes, a result indicated by the most recent polls.

"All the disputes, all the compromises that we had to make are now gone. And now the parties are stepping forward with their own ideas. Now a lot can change on all fronts," said Habeck.

Since the breakup of the coalition government, he pointed out, there has been a real sense of euphoria within the party, which has been reflected in a major influx of new members. Some 5,500 people have reportedly joined the Greens since the government fell apart, giving the environmental party 130,000 members — a new record.

Indeed, Habeck has been extremely popular throughout his political career. The philosophy major authored several books, joined the Green Party in 2002 and went on to become lawmaker and then agriculture minister in his northern home state of Schleswig Holstein.

Habeck had a very favorable image with voters at the beginning of his term in office in 2021, with approval ratings much higher than those of the taciturn Chancellor Scholz. After the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, it was Habeck who found simple and heartfelt words to explain the impact of rising energy prices and inflation to the German people.

Before 2018, Habeck was a co-chair of the Green Party alongside current Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, but stepped aside to allow her to be candidate for chancellor in the 2021 election campaign. Following Baerbock's campaign, the Greens garnered 14.8% of the vote, which made them the third-largest party behind the Social Democrats and center-right Christian Democrats.

Baerbock announced weeks ago that she would not be seeking the top job in the next election. She is expected to support Habeck in this campaign.

Green Party looks for new leadership

After poor showings in several recent elections, including in the European elections in June and in the three eastern German states in September, the party's leaders threw in the towel. Co-chairs Omid Nouripour and Ricarda Lang do not plan to run again for the party leadership.

Felix Banaszak and Franziska Brantner are now expected to replace them.

Banaszak, 35, is a junior member of the Bundestag from Germany's most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia. He hails from a working class family — his grandfather migrated from Poland to the Ruhr Valley, West Germany's former industrial heartland.

Brantner, 45, is a political scientist who was born and raised in Heidelberg. She spent time in Tel Aviv and Washington, and has been a member of the lower house of parliament since 2013.

She currently serves as state secretary in the Economy Ministry, and is said to be a close confidante of Habeck. Her candidacy has drawn the attention of Habeck's critics within the party. They accuse Habeck of seeking to force the party to toe his line and adopt his more pragmatic, centrist approach that encompasses a wide range of issues, in an attempt to appeal to people who have not previously voted for the Greens.

In an interview with the national daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, Brantner admitted that she is faced with a difficult mission: "It's a big task, but one that reflects the times we live in."

Both candidates have made it clear that under their leadership, the Greens would once again focus on climate action. With Donald Trump as president, the US could no longer be counted on as a key partner for climate protection.

Focus on housing and renewables

Habeck is probably the Green Party's best-known politician. But he lost a lot of support during his time in the government due to his poorly communicated plans to switch German homes from gas to sustainable heat pumps.

The short election campaign leading up to February's election is likely to focus on him. However, not everyone is pleased with this, as many members of the Green Party see themselves as a party based on a political platform, not one in which personality is all that important.

This article was originally written in German.

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