If Cem Özdemir – the Greens’ candidate – were to become Minister President of Baden‑Württemberg, the mayor of Tübingen, Boris Palmer, could potentially earn a portfolio in the new cabinet. In a Tuesday interview with ”Handelsblatt”, Özdemir said he would not appoint anyone as a minister who pushes himself forward. Palmer has not made such a push, and Özdemir praised him as “smart enough”.
Palmer had long been viewed as a maverick within the Green Party, and he faced intense internal criticism. In 2023 he left the party amid a dispute. Despite that split, Özdemir and Palmer still call themselves friends. “We work closely together” Özdemir told the newspaper. Palmer serves as an important adviser on housing, rent policy, climate protection and efficient administration.
Özdemir, who hopes the green‑black coalition can continue, also warned against a three‑party alliance of the CDU, SPD and FDP – the coalition favored by CDU leader Manuel Hagel. “No one in Baden‑Württemberg is looking for a bitter coalition with a Minister President who has never held a government post” Özdemir said. “That would be a Lindner versus Scholz, re‑loaded” he added, recalling the failed federal traffic‑light coalition.