Leading members of the Greens’ “Realo‑Flügel” called on the Federal Association of the Greens Youth to change course. “Those who refuse to engage with the centre of society are simply aiming for a niche. It may feel easier that way, but it solves no problems” said Greens politician and Bundestag vice‑president Omid Nouripour in an interview with “Der Spiegel”.
Nouripour praised the Baden‑Württemberg and Hesse state branches of the Greens Youth for their work. He said both had run “a great campaign” and, during the recent Landtag run in the southwest and the municipal election in Hesse, had tackled real problems. “Others fall short, especially with loud slogans” he added.
Baden‑Württemberg’s finance minister, Danyal Bayaz, reminded the Greens Youth that in the last federal election young voters had preferred the AfD and the Left over the Greens. He noted that on 8 March the state’s top candidate Cem Özdemir performed strongly with young and first‑time voters. “This is something the Federal Association of the Greens Youth should address: take more risks with knowledge, less with certainty” Bayaz said.
The two federal chairs of the Greens Youth, Henriette Held and Luis Bobga, defended their criticism of Özdemir on the night of the election, 8 March. Held told “Spiegel” that, alongside collaboration with the party, it is also their duty to critique it and spark intra‑party debate. “It would not have been authentic for us to pretend after the Baden‑Württemberg election that we agreed with every position” she said.
Bobga said that many young people felt the Greens did not represent them, particularly those with a migration background who had expressed that the shift in migration policy over recent years was wrong. He recalled speaking on ntv during the election night, stating that after weeks of engagement with Özdemir he is unsure whether a favorable result for the party ultimately translates into good policy for the people of Baden‑Württemberg. Özdemir had narrowly won the Landtag election on 8 March, just ahead of CDU candidate Manuel Hagel.
