Felix Banaszak, the chairman of the Green Party, sharply criticized the speculation surrounding a potential change of Chancellor within the CDU. Speaking to RTL and ntv on Friday, Banaszak stated that he would not participate in discussions regarding a switch from Hendrik Wüst to Friedrich Merz. He asserted that he found it irresponsible for the government to be in such a disastrous state after only one year that discussions about a change in leadership were occurring. Banaszak insisted that the government simply needed to do its job, noting that it had been elected and possessed a stable parliamentary majority. He concluded that there is a good tradition in Germany where governments are expected to work properly for a full four years.
While acknowledging that his own Green Party had not governed with absolute independence within the traffic light coalition, Banaszak leveled criticism against both the CDU and the SPD, claiming they had failed to learn from the coalition’s setbacks. “They are repeating all the mistakes that were already made, and piling five more onto them” he said.
Looking specifically at North Rhine-Westphalia, Banaszak praised the partnership between Minister-President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) and the Greens. He commented, “Hendrik Wüst, alongside Mona Neubaur, is leading a very well-functioning coalition in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is beneficial for the CDU to be able to collaborate with the Greens. And this cooperation spirit will continue in North Rhine-Westphalia”. He reaffirmed that the government in Berlin was democratically elected and was now focused on its work.
