Party juniors: openness to the CDU? Green youth argues with Banaszak

At the federal congress in Leipzig, two lines collide: Many in the Green Youth want a clear distance from the CDU. But party leader Felix Banaszak promotes openness.

Leipzig. The Green Youth relies on a sharp demarcation from the CDU. Several participants at the federal congress in Leipzig rejected black-green government alliances; the chairmen Henriette Held and Luis Bobga particularly sharply attacked Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). Held called him the “fucking Chancellor,” Bobga described the policies of the black-red federal government as anti-social and deadly in its consequences. During his appearance, Green Party leader Felix Banaszak promoted openness towards the Union.

Constantin Heinold from Bavaria warned against “anti-human politics” with the CDU, while there was still the chance to pursue “anti-capitalist politics” with the Left. Christian Geiger from Bavaria explained: “Democratic politics and democratic politics for all people does not mean bugging the CDU, but it means implementing left-wing politics.”

Banaszak warned that it was not a wise option to rule out any cooperation with the CDU. "I also have no need for closer contact with Friedrich Merz. I have never voted for the man and I will not do so in my life," he said.

But there is currently a “hard battle” going on in the Union between those who could imagine working with the AfD. But there is also the North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst or his counterpart Daniel Günther from Schleswig-Holstein who want to maintain the firewall against the AfD.

"But they also need some perspective so that they can enforce this in terms of power politics within their own ranks. And if the Greens and the SPD say 'No matter what you do, we won't join forces with you anyway', then these forces in the Union will lose and then the Union is lost."

Banaszak demanded clear agreements from the planned red-green-red coalition in Berlin. "If parts of this coalition invite people every few weeks to call for the Intifada, then this project will not be stable for five years. So you have to address it beforehand so that you can go into this alliance with a good feeling."

The desired coalition in Berlin should also be seen in the light of a possible future coalition with the SPD and the Left in the federal government, said Banaszak. “If these three parties want to have the option of coming together after the next federal election, then this alliance must not be started on the wrong premises, otherwise it will go off the rails in the next few years.”

The day before, the two Green youth leaders Held and Bobga, who were re-elected in Leipzig, attacked the CDU. “We need language that states that Friedrich Merz is responsible for the fact that people will live much worse and die earlier if working hours are made more flexible,” said Bobga.

Held spoke of Merz as a “fucking chancellor”. She demanded of the Greens: “The party must finally check that it cannot stand on the side of a CDU that helps right-wing extremists gain power” - probably alluding to the situation in Saxony-Anhalt.

Held received 86.29 percent of the votes cast, Bobga 73.20 percent. For both of them it was a worse result than when they were elected a year ago. Both are 24 years old.

The participants at the federal congress also decided to increase the age limit for membership in the Green Youth to 30 years, from the previous 28 years. The Green Youth represents very left-wing positions within the Green Party.