The Greens concluded their extraordinary federal party convention in Berlin on Sunday by adopting their election program for the Bundestag election. The program was approved with only two abstentions from the attending delegates in the afternoon.
The Greens aim to focus on measures that will make daily life more affordable for people in the election campaign. To this end, they are calling for the introduction of a climate levy, which was not implemented in the traffic light coalition. They also want the Germany ticket to cost 49 euros again and the minimum wage to be increased to 15 euros.
However, the programmatic debate took a backseat during the non-six-hour event, with party leaders using their speeches more for election campaign appearances. The main theme was the proposal by Union chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz to implement his migration policy agenda uncompromisingly, regardless of who agrees or not.
Green chancellor candidate Robert Habeck accused the Union of having abandoned the political center. “This center is now empty”he said. “Either you agree or I agree with the right-wing extremists. That’s not the center, that’s ideology.”
Green party chief Felix Banaszak, looking at a possible opening of the Union towards the AfD, said, “The damage is done and the damage is great.””We need a strong, conservative force in the center”he added.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused the Union of blocking the security package and the implementation of the Geas reform. “Is that government responsibility?”she asked. At the same time, she warned against the exclusion of people with a migration history. “Our country would come to a standstill if these people did not show up to work for one day”said the Green politician.
The Greens had already nominated their chancellor candidate in November at the regular federal party convention in Wiesbaden. The party is currently polling between 13 and 15 percent in the polls.