When the leaders of the Green Party looked at their future and their chances in the upcoming state elections at the beginning of the year, their outlook was filled with anxiety and doubt. At that time, a little more than half a year had passed since their exit from the federal government, while the results of opinion polls were bad and sometimes very bad, especially in eastern Germany.
The concern was that the Green Party might lose relevance given Germany's increasing polarization between the growing far right and the powerful left.
Now, after a little more than nine months, the Green Party has been able to breathe a sigh of relief: In the state of Baden-Württemberg, the Green Party candidate, Cem Ozdemir, won the elections in the spring after a surprise chase and became prime minister since May 13 in the state.
Two unexpected electoral successes
In September, the Green Party succeeded in returning to the state legislatures of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in closely contested elections, something no one had expected for a long time. This would have been a cause for joy were it not for the significant gains achieved by the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany party, part of which is classified as far-right.
On election night, September 6, in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, party leader Felix Banaszak was in a state of emotional ambivalence.
"It's a mix of conflicting feelings. On the one hand there is of course great gratitude and also a sense of relief. We have been here for years below the five percent threshold. Many have already excluded us," he told DW. On the other hand, according to Banaszak, it is not possible to “rush into cheering” in light of the AfD receiving approximately 44 percent of the votes.
Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck leave a big void
At the beginning of the year, the atmosphere was particularly heated around Banaszak and his co-chairman Francisca Brantner: the Green Party leadership was considered insufficiently known and did not have a prominent reputation.
Many mourned the departure of former ministers Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck, who withdrew from active German political life after losing the Bundestag elections.
But then the two presidents devoted their efforts seriously to catching up, especially in eastern Germany, organizing conferences on the future of the Greens and being mainly present in the same states during the election campaign. They did not appear often in public squares, but rather in places where they were able to truly communicate with citizens, both male and female.
Find commonalities with conservatives
They have always called for working with other centrist parties for democracy and the rule of law, including with the conservatives in the CDU, which has little in common with the Green Party, at least at the federal level.
In this regard, Banaszak told DW in May: "What can actually be done to prevent society from collapsing in these times? This also requires a union of the center. A union that does not give in to the temptation of tyranny, but rather searches for a perspective in the middle."
A strategy that paid off in the end: in both Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Green Party received many votes from people who precisely wanted to strengthen this center. In the Berlin state elections, the Green Party suffered losses, especially to the Left Party, but it sees opportunities to soon participate in the administration of the federal capital.
The Green Party should put climate protection second
Is everything okay then? not quite. In current national opinion polls, the Green Party maintains a stable support rate of between 14 and 17 percent, but the prospects of forming a government coalition seem remote.
The strength of the AfD's electoral successes is very great. At present, the Green Party has no choice but to warn about the erosion of democracy and the rule of law.
In addition, the core of their political identity, namely environmental and climate protection, is currently very unpopular, although the head of the parliamentary bloc in the Bundestag, Britta Haselmann, constantly emphasized this during the election campaign last summer.
“No other party in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern or in Saxony-Anhalt fights as much for the protection of nature, the environment and the preservation of our livelihoods to be at the heart of our work.”
But the once-rebellious party is now so supportive of the state that its leader still keeps tabs on its conservative rival: the Christian Democratic Union, led by Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Banaszak said after the elections that took place in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in which the CDU suffered heavy losses, that all of Germany needs a "fairly stable and organized conservative party."
Criticism of the advisor: “Far from reality”
Levels of dissatisfaction with the government are currently at record levels, yet Meretz wants to stick to his reforms, such as those related to pensions, even though this project is sparking intense controversy among the population.
In this regard, Banaszak said last week in Berlin that if Meretz now contents himself with sending a message saying, “I will continue as I have been doing until now, and at some point people will understand how wonderful all of this is,” then that is far from reality. Rather, it is a clear attempt to demonstrate the ability to work. The Green Party leader from Meretz and the Christian Union expects more self-criticism in the current situation.
Therefore, the Green Party also views the country's future with a great deal of uncertainty. At the same time, the party may assume government responsibilities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt. If this happens, the Green Party will be involved in half of the state governments in eight of the 16 states. This is something that no one probably expected at the beginning of the year.
Prepared in Arabic by: M.A.M
