Germany is experiencing extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in cities like Cologne and Hamburg. Radio stations have been advising people on how to cope with the hot weather, noting that a heatwave so early in the summer is unusual in the country. Climate change is cited as the reason for this phenomenon, with its effects being increasingly felt even in central Europe.
In light of this situation, one would expect the Green Party to play a larger role in the public debate on climate protection, as it is their core issue. However, the party is currently facing internal challenges and grappling with its new role in opposition, as they lost their position in government two months ago. The two co-chairs of the Greens parliamentary group in the Bundestag have introduced a strategy paper outlining how the party can proceed in opposition, emphasizing that it is not a rejection of the previous party leadership.
The party’s role in opposing government decisions, such as the recent ban on gender-neutral language for civil servants, has been more restrained. Many Greens feel that such decisions do not align with the reality and concerns of everyday people. The Green Party’s popularity declined in the February election, resulting in only 11.6% of the vote and the loss of their potential to form another coalition government.
Key figureheads of the party have announced their step back from front-line politics, including Robert Habeck, who is now a regular member of parliament, and Annalena Baerbock, who will become the next president of the UN General Assembly in New York. The party aims to reconnect with the people and address the perception that they obstruct people’s ability to carry out certain actions. They also recognize the need for more personnel, particularly in the eastern part of the country, to effectively engage with people.
The Green Party has shown support for the new German government’s plans, including the approval of taking on new debt and providing financial support for climate protection. Although combating global warming remains important to the party’s core brand, it is currently not a popular topic among the electorate, making it challenging for the Greens, who were formerly a government party.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-s-green-party-struggling-to-establish-new-identity/a-73173164?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
