Green Party Gaining Strength in Strongholds and Reinforcing Barriers against AfD - Greens anticipate success in contests in Hochburgen and Wall against the AfD party
The Greens in North Rhine-Westphalia's Municipal Elections: A Focus on Progressive Policies and Inclusive Campaigning
The Greens in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are gearing up for the upcoming municipal elections, aiming to consolidate their strongholds in key cities like Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, and Münster, while also countering the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The party has formed alliances with the SPD in Bochum and the CDU in the Ennepe-Ruhr district, and in Erftstadt, they have a candidate supported by all other democratic parties except the CDU. The Greens are confident about defending their mayoral seats in Aachen and Bonn.
NRW state chairwoman Yazgülü Zeybek, speaking in Düsseldorf, expressed concern about the potential strong result of the AfD and their potential inclusion in district councils. Zeybek emphasized the importance of preventing the AfD from spreading propaganda and curbing far-right influence in communities.
The Greens' key strategies include a focus on climate and eco-social transformation, targeted leadership candidacies, a firm stance against far-right extremism, and community engagement and inclusive representation.
In Cologne, for instance, the Greens have put forward a Kurdish-German politician who plans to combat racism and far-right extremism directly by calling to ban the AfD, and position Cologne as a "climate capital of Europe" by expanding green infrastructure, reducing car use, improving public transport, and planting thousands of trees annually.
The party is also committed to promoting sustainability and climate protection, as central to their campaign message, supported by creative and clear communication through campaigns like "Power for Tomorrow" developed with the agency Jung von Matt.
Britta Haßelmann, chairwoman of the Green parliamentary group in the Bundestag, calls for a concrete proposal for an old debt fund from the federal government to help municipalities overcome their structural deficits. Haßelmann warns against investing in mother's pension, commuter's allowance, or a reduction in VAT for the catering industry, suggesting instead that money should be used to renovate swimming pools, invest in sports facilities, and cycle paths.
The Greens see many convincing candidates in the Ruhr area and other cities in NRW who can provide green answers to the daily concerns of people and the rise of the AfD locally. It is now more important than ever for democrats to stand together and work well together after the municipal election.
[1] Jung von Matt, (2023). Power for Tomorrow. Retrieved from https://www.jungvonmatt.com/en/work/greens/power-for-tomorrow/ [2] Greens NRW, (2023). Our Candidates. Retrieved from https://www.gruenen-nrw.de/kandidaten/
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