"If you want to..."

After the end of the traffic light: Green Habeck wants to become chancellor

Now he has made it official: Robert Habeck (Greens) wants to become German Chancellor. He announced his candidacy in a video on YouTube.

(Bild: AFP)

Robert Habeck wants to lead the Greens in Germany into the election campaign as their candidate for chancellor. The Vice-Chancellor and Economics Minister made his candidacy official on Friday afternoon via a YouTube video.

Habeck said in the video (see below): "I am running as a candidate from the Greens - for the people of Germany."

He continued: "If you want, also as chancellor. But that's not my decision, it's yours. Only you can decide that."

The government's decisions and disputes have certainly caused debate at many a kitchen table.

Robert Habeck

Speaking about the recently collapsed traffic light coalition, the former minister said that the government, which he was jointly responsible for as Vice-Chancellor, had "certainly caused debate at a number of kitchen tables" with its decisions and disputes.

Comeback on social media
Habeck had already hinted at the move on social media on Thursday. Almost six years after his departure from Twitter and Facebook, he made his return on X. "It's easy to leave places like this to the screamers and populists. But taking the easy way out can't be the solution. Not today. Not this week. Not in this time. That's why I'm back on X," read a post by the Green politician. Robert Habeck now also has an account on Instagram again.

Habeck's election planned in a week's time
Habeck's election as the Greens' leader is planned for the Greens' national party conference, which begins on Friday next week in Wiesbaden. Habeck will seek the support of the delegates there in order to start the election campaign with a tailwind.

Baerbock waved off
The personnel issue had long been an open secret. In July, Habeck's only serious rival, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, declared that she did not want to run for chancellor. At the end of September, she said on ARD's "Report from Berlin": "Robert Habeck is the one who will lead us into the Bundestag election campaign."

The leading duo of the Greens in Germany: Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck

(Bild: APA/AFP/POOL/John MACDOUGALL)

The relationship between Baerbock and Habeck is not without strain after she prevailed over Habeck as the Greens' candidate for chancellor in 2021. However, the two want to pull together in the upcoming new parliamentary election campaign.

Weak poll ratings
However, Habeck's chances of actually becoming chancellor are limited. His party is currently polling at a weak 9 to 11 percent. At this point, the Greens like to point to the SPD's poll results, which are only a few percentage points better, as they are also fielding a candidate for chancellor.

Lousy economic situation
Habeck is dragging the poor economic situation in Germany around like a ball and chain. He himself explains the situation with the loss of Russian energy imports as a result of the war of aggression against Ukraine and delayed reforms by previous governments. However, as Economics Minister, he will hardly be able to shake off the issue.

Scholz ready for talks on date for new election
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is ready for talks on the timing of a vote of confidence and the subsequent new election following the collapse of his coalition government. On the fringes of the informal EU summit in Budapest, however, he called for an agreement in the Bundestag on which laws should still be passed.