Forsa chief Manfred Güllner says that, following the election victory of Greens’ top candidate Cem Özdemir in Baden‑Württemberg, a fresh factional clash between the party’s realists and left‑wingers is unlikely.
Güllner told the “Rheinische Post” on Tuesday that whatever is downplayed, it is “a state election hardly influenced by federal politics”. He added that the Greens present themselves as left‑wing but draw from a distinct voter base-the upper‑middle class with higher education and income. “That’s not comparable to the Left” he said. “It matters less whether one is left or centre; what matters is that suitable people are put in place across the country to pursue pragmatic politics”.
When talking about Özdemir’s election, he told the newspaper that in 2011 many saw Winfried Kretschmann’s win as an accident, but then “we were extremely satisfied with him”. Özdemir now follows in Kretschmann’s footsteps, and what he will do remains to be seen.