Baden-Württemberg’s outgoing Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann warned his party against working with the Left.
“I am firmly against a partnership” the Green politician told the Tagesspiegel, noting that in Berlin the Left could potentially join Greens and the SPD to govern after this autumn’s elections. He cautioned, “One should not cooperate with extremists” adding that while brief, issue‑specific cooperation might be possible, a fundamental alliance was unacceptable. Kretschmann said the Left’s danger lies in creating false hopes; over time that is no safer than an outright attack on democracy.
He urged his party to keep its appeal broad. “If we try to overtake the Left with left‑wing slogans, it won’t work” he said. Kretschmann, who will not run again for the Greens in the March 8 state election, criticized some of his colleagues: “The party’s left wing prefers to compete over ever‑larger goals. We must also discuss how to achieve those goals”. He called for thinking about politics from the end point, reminding that “success is what matters in politics”.