“Precisely now, when populists are attempting to further divide society, we shouldn’t abandon the idea of the center” she stated “On the contrary, I see it as an important task for the Greens to defend this center
Her comments followed Habeck’s recent suggestion, upon leaving the Bundestag, that German society may not possess a true center, but rather consists of distinct groups articulating differing interests, united primarily by rhetoric Dröge countered this view, emphasizing the existence of core, shared values She pointed to a broad consensus supporting a stable democracy and a robust social safety net as evidence of this enduring center “That is the consensus and that is the center in this country” she explained
Dröge also disputed Habeck’s framing of a “Merkel gap” in the electorate, a concept raised during the recent election campaign She criticized the tendency to equate the political center with those holding views similar to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) “I think that’s nonsense” Dröge said, adding that the CDU does not define where the center lies
Instead of focusing on a traditionally liberal-conservative demographic potentially mourning the departure of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, Dröge indicated a desire to build a “left-of-center” coalition She highlighted economic and social policy as key areas for this approach Dröge believes that public opinion would support increased taxation of higher earners to fund social programs like childcare, stating that a majority would vote in favor of such a measure in a referendum
