Ricarda Lang, a former leader of the Green Party, has criticized her own party for its perceived failures in the debate surrounding migration. Speaking to n-tv, she asserted that the Green Party has made a serious error: “The entire debate on integration has completely fallen behind in recent years.” While some members of society only want to discuss “who arrives and how quickly they should leave,” the Greens, Lang argued, have allowed others to handle the topic out of fear of raising difficult issues.
Drawing on her time living in the Berlin district of Neukölln, Lang indicated the presence of radicalization, particularly among young men. She also highlighted the strain felt by teachers in classrooms, suggesting that these aspects-the localized problems-must become a stronger focus for the Greens. She believes that meaningful solutions can only be discussed after the problem itself is fully acknowledged; if the party claims the problem doesn’t exist, discussions on solutions become impossible.
Felix Banaszak, head of the Greens, corroborated this sentiment to n-tv, explaining that he had been trying to introduce such impulses in recent months. He argued that anyone who seeks to advance a progressive migration policy must avoid giving the impression that they are only seeing the part of reality that fits their own program. Instead, he emphasized the necessity of “giving clear names to the things other people also see.”
As an example of this necessity, Banaszak cited his response to the attack on the Berlin Christopher Street Day this past summer. He stated that he consciously spoke “very clearly about Islamism” as both a motive and an underlying ideology. He stressed that anyone who fails to name the issue out of fear-because the word ‘Islamism’ contains the word ‘Islam’-is incorrect. “If we fail to mention it, we are headed for hell,” Banaszak warned, adding that reluctance ultimately contributes to people saying, “You can’t even say what is going on.”
He argued that politics must name conflicting realities simultaneously: “There is Islamism, and there is anti-Muslim exclusion.” He acknowledged the existence of radicalization, but also stressed that the drivers of this radicalization are often rooted in the flawed policies of the majority society. Furthermore, he highlighted organized crime as a tangible problem, affecting “especially people from the communities themselves,” such as the Italian interviewed, who allegedly had to pay protection money. Banaszak concluded by stating, “I am free of any relativization when it comes to Islamism. It is poison for our society,” wishing that the Greens’ program would prioritize security against this threat.
Nevertheless, Banaszak cautioned against generalizations, firmly stating that the party would not close borders or broadly distrust everyone whose name begins with ‘Al’ or ‘El’. Anyone advocating this position must also demonstrate that they recognize and seriously address existing societal failings in a “robust” manner.
Lang clarified that she sees Islamism and right-wing extremism as distinct ideologies, though both are “unified in the fight against universal dignity and freedom.” She noted that a party loses credibility if it only names ideologies when those definitions fit its worldview and remains silent when it might cost a vote on a party convention. She also criticized conservatives for being vocal about Islamist attacks while remaining silent during right-wing assaults on CSDs. She added that the Greens must defend human dignity and freedom “against all their enemies, regardless of whether they come from the right-wing or the Islamist side.”
Banaszak did acknowledge that he had previously used phrasing regarding Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s statements about the “city landscape” that he now would not use. However, he maintained that the underlying debate was valid, noting that while some reacted with anger, others correctly pointing out that Merz “has a point somewhere.” He added that demonstrations against Merz alone are unproductive, citing examples from his own constituency in Duisburg’s North, where many of these individuals live.
In reference to the terrorist attack on the Berlin Christopher Street Day on July 25, 2026, which resulted in one death and 31 injuries, the Greens will elect their new party leadership at their Federal Delegate Conference in Berlin from December 4 to 6. Banaszak and Co-Chair Franziska Brantner are set to run for re-election.
