German Greens forced to return to their roots of activists – politico

But given their new place in the opposition, the only way to handle politically can be back to the left – fundi side of things.

Sven-Christian Kindler, a former green legislator who did not show up at the re-election during the February vote, sees the missteps of the Greens as rooted in what he considers the Party to the Center in recent years.

“Some of us have assumed that in pragmatic, we could fill the political vacuum left by (the former chancellor) Angela Merkel,” Kindler told Politico.

After the large -scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, this transition to the center became more pronounced, believed a lot inside the party. The decision of the Minister of Green Economy Robert Habeck to maintain coal -fired power plants longer than promised was a key change. But the Greens also abandoned their pacifist roots, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock pushing with force for the deliveries of arms to Kyiv.

“Everything that combined cost us votes – despite what we have done in government,” said Kindler.

For many inside the party, the solution is clear.

“My suggestion: becoming greener again,” said Felix Banaszak, one of the national leaders of the Greens, in a recent interview. “This again understands to speak more of ecology, climate, environment and nature conservation, and justify the protection of the climate to its own merits-instead of a lever for economic growth,” he continued. “It’s now time to prevent ecological regression.”