Greens warned by Özdemir to steer clear of radical leftists; his call for political autonomy emphasized
Green Party Leader Cem Özdemir Calls for Focus on Environmental Policy in 2026 Baden-Württemberg Election
Cem Özdemir, the Green Party's top candidate for the 2026 state election in Baden-Württemberg, has urged his party to refocus on its core competencies and prioritise ecological responsibility over redistribution debates. In an interview published in the "Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland," Özdemir criticised the Green Party's current left-wing shift and warned against the party becoming a "better CDU, SPD, or Left Party."
Özdemir emphasised the need for the Greens to make climate protection a central concern and argued that prices should tell the ecological truth, providing a strong incentive to invest in CO2-neutral technologies and solutions. He cited the SPD as a cautionary example, stating that the party has become a party of recipients instead of the party of workers.
The Green politician advocated for an independent course for the party, stating that this is a real opportunity but takes courage to pursue an independent content policy. Özdemir also warned that the SPD's shift has driven many workers into the arms of the AfD. He called for making the market an ally of climate protection, not an enemy.
In his interview, Özdemir saw the Green Party as "the only bourgeois opposition party" in Baden-Württemberg and expressed the need for the party to stay with its core competencies. He did not reiterate his previous warnings against a leftward shift or redistribution debates within the Green Party.
Özdemir's call for the Greens to refocus on environmental and climate policy competencies as central to its identity and electoral strategy in Baden-Württemberg for 2026 reflects his broader critique that the party must find its own path rooted in environmental issues rather than aligning with left-wing social policies.
The interview was published in the Friday editions of the "Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland." By emphasising the importance of the Green Party's ecological mission and distancing itself from a left-wing shift, Özdemir aims to maintain and strengthen the party's electoral position in the upcoming state election.
During the interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Cem Özdemir, the Green Party's top candidate for the 2026 Baden-Württemberg election, urged a refocus on the party's core competencies, emphasizing the need for an independent environmental and climate policy as part of its identity and electoral strategy. In this context, he critiqued redistribution debates and warned against the party becoming similar to other political parties. Subsequently, Özdemir called for making the market an ally of climate protection, indicating a focus on policy-and-legislation related to the environment and climate change in 2026's general-news events.
