The co-leader of the Green Party parliamentary group, Katharina Dröge, has indicated that a future return of Robert Habeck to a prominent role in German federal politics remains a possibility. When questioned about whether his recent decision to step back from a leading position within the party definitively closed the door to him holding a top office, Dröge stated in interviews with RTL and ntv that while his continued involvement would have been welcomed, his decision is respected and does not preclude a future return. “The Green Party’s door is absolutely not closed to Robert Habeck” she emphasized.
Dröge also defended Habeck’s candid criticism of several high-ranking politicians, including Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU), as expressed in his farewell interview. She argued that the Bundestag President holds a unifying role and that Klöckner’s approach to political discourse has been overly partisan and divisive. Specifically, Dröge criticized Klöckner’s comparison between the newspaper “taz” and the online portal Nius as a misstep, asserting that previous Bundestag Presidents – Norbert Lammert, Wolfgang Schäuble and Hans-Gert Pöttering – would not have engaged in such behavior.
“I believe it was right for Robert Habeck to voice his criticism” Dröge stated, adding that there is ongoing discussion about whether Klöckner is adequately fulfilling her duties. “From my perspective, she is not currently doing so”.
