Germany's Greens to pick candidate for chancellor April 19
A senior party official says Germany’s environmentalist Greens will decide on April 19 which of their two co-leaders will make the party’s first run for the chancellery in a national election in September
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Germany s environmentalist Greens will decide later this month which of their two co-leaders will make the party's first run for the chancellery in a national election in September, a senior party official said Wednesday.
Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck have led the party since early 2018. A pragmatic and harmonious duo, they have presided over a rise in the Greens' poll ratings. The Greens are in opposition nationally but sit in many of Germany's state governments.
Recent surveys show them running second behind Chancellor Angela Merkel s center-right Union bloc, which has given up gains made in the early phase of the coronavirus pandemic amid discontent over a slow vaccination campaign and other things. They show support of 22-23%, more than twice the 8.9% the party won in the 2017 election.
The outcome of the Sept. 26 parliamentary election is unpredictable, in part because Merkel isn't seeking a fifth term after 16 years in power. Her bloc has yet to choose its candidate — two state governors, Armin Laschet and Markus Soeder are expected to decide which of them runs by late May.
The Greens' general secretary, Michael Kellner, tweeted that his party has “a strong leadership duo” in Baerbock, 40, and Habeck, 51. He said that the party will announce on April 19 which of them will be its candidate for chancellor.
The decision will need endorsement from a party congress in June.
Baerbock, a lawmaker in the national parliament, lacks government experience. Habeck served for several years as the agriculture and environment minister of the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein.
The Greens last month unveiled a program that proposes speeding up Germany's exit from coal-fired power, raising carbon prices and massively increasing infrastructure spending.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.