Greens in Baden-Württemberg: New beginning or Kretschmann S Erbe?

Greens in Baden-Württemberg: New beginning or Kretschmann S Erbe?

The Greens in Baden-Württemberg: Looking for a new beginning

The Greens in Baden-Württemberg face a major challenge. According to a number of bitter losses in the state elections in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg, the pressure on the party is urging the party. Winfried Kretschmann, who has ruled as Prime Minister for 13 years, commented concerns about the declines: "We are properly changing," he commented on the current survey results that the Greens show at around 20 percent - well behind the CDU, which surpasses it by about ten percent.

In the last state election in 2021, the Greens still reached 32.6 percent, and with the announced withdrawal from Kretschmann, a new top candidate is now needed to lead the party in the 2026 election.

challenges and perspectives

Despite the worrying surveys, Alexander Maier, Mayor of Göppingen and one of the youngest mayors in Germany, remains optimistic. He sees the dissatisfaction of the voters primarily as a mirror of the poor performance of the traffic light coalition in Berlin. "I don't think that we will provide the Prime Minister after 2026," he said. Maier also emphasizes that the Greens are responding to the current mood and should find positive approaches to topics such as migration and bureaucracy.

The challenges in front of which the Greens are facing are considerable. The election researcher Frank Brettschneider from the University of Hohenheim warns that the Greens are perceived as a "know-it-all and patronage party", which harms their image. Kretschmann’s approach to citizen participation is estimated, but is not considered a typical green trademark.

the heritage of Kretschmann and the future of the Greens

A central topic will be whether the future top candidate can benefit from Kretschmann's heir. This could probably be Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir, from whom Maier hopes that he will bring dynamics to the election campaign. "He has the potential to pick up Kretschmann voters," says Maier about Özdemir, who himself comes from Baden-Württemberg and is considered pragmatic.

However, some analysts are skeptical that Özdemir can break out of his Berlin image. Brettschneider emphasizes that this may not be the decisive factor in the next election campaign, but rather the argument about central topics could be in the foreground. The key will therefore be whether the Greens can develop a new, independent trademark, beyond Kretschmann's presence.

The next few months could be crucial for the Greens in Baden-Württemberg. In view of your current survey values and the upcoming elections, you have to rethink both programmatically and strategically in order to regain the trust of voters. More details on this topic can be found in a detailed report at www.tagesschau.de .