Greens federal chairmen Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck: their members convinced to agree to the coalition agreement.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin The last hurdle on the way to the first traffic light government at the federal level has been overcome: the majority of the Greens members have given their consent to the traffic light agreement. Federal Managing Director Michael Kellner spoke of a “good day” and a “strong result”. In a largely digital ballot, around 86 percent of the 71,150 valid votes cast were in favor of the coalition agreement and the ministers decided by the party executive, as Kellner announced. A total of 57 percent of the total of 125,000 members took part in the vote.
The designated Economics and Climate Minister and future Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck thanked the members for their trust in four years of work and the duty to meet the great challenges. But now is also a moment “when you can take a breath and be satisfied, almost proud of the coalition agreement”.
The Greens’ digital ballot began on November 26th. The SPD and FDP already approved the 177-page coalition agreement at the weekend.
In the past few days, the Greens had tried to defend the coalition agreement and to fend off the criticism of some Green members that it did not go far enough.
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“With the coalition agreement, we recorded a way in which three very different parties come together, but work together in a spirit of trust in order to really tackle the challenges of our time, for example the climate crisis but also child poverty in this country,” said Vice-Chairwoman Ricarda of the Greens Long on Monday morning the television station “Phoenix”. At the same time, there are also points that you could not implement, that you had to “swallow”, according to Lang. She is being talked about as the new leader of the Greens, together with foreign politician Omid Nouripour.
Lang cited the failed increase in the Hartz IV standard rates as an example. “Here we have to be honest and say: We’ll stay tuned on these issues,” said the former chairman of the Green Youth.
Frustration in the left camp
Until 1 p.m. this Monday, the 125,000 members of the Greens were not only allowed to vote on the coalition agreement, but also on the five ministers designated by their party for the new government. The still-party leaders Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock are supposed to take over the economics and foreign ministries. Cem Özdemir becomes Minister of Agriculture, the left-wing parties Steffi Lemke and Anne Spiegel become Environment and Family Minister.
Nevertheless, the selection had caused frustration in the left-wing camp, especially because the party leadership had pushed the Realo Özdemir through as minister. Fractional leader Anton Hofreiter from the left wing came away empty-handed.
Co-parliamentary group leader Katrin Göring-Eckardt will not become a minister either. She could become Vice President of the Bundestag again. She held this office between 2005 and 2013. Most recently, the Greens Claudia Roth was Bundestag Vice-President, but is planned in the future cabinet as Minister of State for Culture and Media.
The 177-page coalition agreement entitled “Dare to make more progress” is to be signed on Tuesday. On Wednesday, according to the plan, Olaf Scholz (SPD) will be elected Chancellor in the Bundestag and his cabinet sworn in.
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