Despite the recent blocking of the Mercosur agreement by the Greens in the European Parliament, Katharina Dröge, the Green Party’s leader of the Bundestag caucus, emphasized the importance of trade policy and trade agreements ahead of the Bundesvorstand (Federal Board) conference.
Speaking on RTL/ntv’s “Frühstart” programme on Monday, Dröge said, “We want the European Union to conclude more trade agreements, for example with India, to send a clear message of cooperation”. She added that while the board would not attend the meeting herself-as she holds the position of caucus chair in the Bundestag-it would focus the discussion centrally on trade policy.
Last week, the Greens’ approval in the European Parliament of a legal review of the Mercosur trade deal sparked massive criticism. The vote, which relied heavily on support from the far left and far right, could significantly delay the agreement’s implementation. “The signal was bad” Dröge told RTL/ntv. She expressed relief that her fellow Greens in the EU Parliament now share this assessment, citing the extensive debates “at the European level”. She pointed out that the motion received backing not only from Greens but also from conservatives, social democrats, and liberals.
Nonetheless, Dröge made a clear distance from her party’s voting pattern: “Let me say it again very clearly: this should not have been decided this way”.