A prominent figure in the German Green Youth, Jette Nietzard, has responded to criticism of a recent social media post. The post, made on election day, stated that she was pleased that a man, Christian Lindner, was stepping down to allow his partner, Franca Lehfeldt, to pursue a career and care for a child. The comment drew a significant amount of criticism, including from within the Green party.
Nietzard has refused to retract her statement, stating that she stands by her words. She also brought attention to the fact that men often rely on their female partners for unpaid care work in order to participate in the workforce, which can lead to women being pushed out of the job market. She did not comment on the specific situation of Franca Lehfeldt, but rather used it as an example of a broader issue.
The Green Youth leader also took the opportunity to address internal critics within the party, including Renate Künast and Danyal Bayaz. While she expressed gratitude for the attention her tweet received from these individuals, she made it clear that she would not be swayed by their opinions. Künast, a prominent figure in the Green party, had criticized the post, calling it “unsavory” and “small-minded.” Bayaz, the Finance Minister of Baden-Württemberg, described the comment as “niveaulos” and not particularly feminist, suggesting that he would delete the post if he had written it.