For a prospective red‑red‑green coalition at the federal level, Green faction leader Katharina Dröge has made a new foreign policy from the Left party a prerequisite.
During a debate on “taz” with Dröge and Left Party chair Ines Schwerdtner, Dröge said, “Saying that the Ukrainians should just talk to Putin is the coldest and most cynical form of foreign policy”. She added that the positions between the parties are so far apart that they can be compared only to the most divergent stances of democratic parties. She described the Left’s approach as “omitted assistance”.
When asked about coalition possibilities, Dröge said the Greens had succeeded in getting climate protection on Christian Lindner’s agenda, a “hard‑won” effort. She argued that bringing the Left to a different foreign policy would also be difficult but “necessary for dialogue”.
In turn, Schwerdtner accused Dröge of a “double standard” in international law. “We condemn Putin as sharply as we condemn Netanyahu, especially regarding the Gaza war. Your stance feels too restrained to me” she said. Schwerdtner rejected any proposal to alter her party’s foreign policy, stating that “in a time of more wars and a fragile world order, a voice for international law and diplomacy is essential”. She made it clear that the Left would not abandon this position to enter a government, nor would it side with the Greens or other parties in the Bundestag.
In a position paper from last summer, Dröge and co‑faction leader Britta Haßelmann outlined their 2029 Bundestag election goal: “a progressive majority that supports a progressive government”. Presently, the SPD, Greens, and Left together hold 269 of the 630 seats in the Bundestag.
