Party in crisis

Why Germany’s Greens are resigning as one

From the left: Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour (Greens) resign.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

The entire party executive of the German Greens is resigning (see video above). A new start should now help to pull the party out of the crisis. But how did it get this far in the first place?

The Greens have achieved disastrous results in four elections in a row - in the European elections and the state elections in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg. In Thuringia and Brandenburg, where they were part of the state government, they failed to reach the five percent hurdle and were kicked out of the state parliament altogether.

Internally, it is said that the party is not active enough on the Tiktok platform. In addition, they probably realized too late how many young people had suffered under the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic.

From the left: Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour (Greens)

(Bild: APA/AFP)

Tightening up asylum law
There is no public discussion of two other possible reasons that some members see: the party's stance on the war in the Gaza Strip, which is sometimes perceived as too one-sided (pro-Israel), and the tightening of asylum laws. This has not gone down well with some voters.

Another possible motive: the outgoing co-chairs Omid Nouripour and Ricarda Lang are repeatedly criticized in public. Lang, for example, is accused of speaking too quickly and complexly in television appearances. Nouripour sometimes causes offense with his statements, most recently describing the traffic light as a "transitional government". Both found it difficult to distinguish their party from the unpopular coalition.

Ten to eleven percent in the poll
In the 2021 federal election, the Greens won 14.8% of the vote. If elections were held next Sunday, the latest polls suggest they would only have ten to eleven percent.