The government is to act on accusations of high-level officials misusing their authority for personal gain. - The head of the parliamentary green party cautions against initiating a state election campaign too early.
Green party leader Andreas Schwarz cautioned against jumping into campaign mode more than two years before the upcoming state elections. He explained to the German Press Agency in Stuttgart, "I don't want to get into a campaign right now. Politics is about finding solutions to problems. We still have a lot of work to do."
It's worth reflecting on which items from the coalition agreement have already been accomplished and which ones still need to be completed. Additionally, it remains unclear what other topics will be introduced by the election. "In 22 months, a lot can still change," said Schwarz. The next scheduled state election is set for spring 2026.
Lately, there have been many obstacles in the collaboration between the Greens and the CDU, with disputes on education packages extending multiple rounds of discussions. Tensions between the Greens and CDU were also evident in the debate over a gender ban. So far, no agreement has been reached on the state mobility law. The initial Green Transport Minister Winfried Hermann's proposal was rejected by the CDU more than a year ago due to concerns over bureaucracy, leading to ongoing negotiations in various settings.
More recently, the new CDU state chairman Manuel Hagel has been criticizing his coalition partner. During the latest CDU party conference, he criticized the European decision on the combustion engine ban as economically and ecologically senseless and harmful to the automotive industry in the southwest. "The world is laughing at us," said Hagel. Only the Greens and their allies would applaud this move. Hagel also accused the Greens of stalling progress on certain topics in an interview with dpa.
Andreas Schwarz views the attacks primarily as Hagel's quest for self-promotion as the new CDU state chairman. "I think Manuel Hagel wants to establish himself as a prominent figure in the CDU," said Schwarz. He hopes for better cooperation between the parties within the coalition. "I'd like to see faster political decisions on certain issues, for example the state mobility law."
