Katharina Dröge, the Fraktionschefin (leader of the parliamentary group) for the Greens in the Bundestag, has publicly endorsed the possibility of a Green-Red-Red coalition at the federal level for the first time. Speaking to the newspaper “Zeit,” she stated that a Green-Red-Red arrangement would likely achieve common ground on numerous social issues and, hopefully, on climate protection, noting that “we could achieve a lot here, and a large part of the country would say: Cool, finally something is being done.”
Dröge sharply criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU, accusing him of instituting a policy reform that results in a “redistribution from bottom to top.” She argued that most studies indicate that there are significant societal majorities supporting policies aimed at social justice, such as fair taxation on extremely high wealth, regulations for affordable rents, and the fight against child poverty. The leading political figure, who represents the left wing of her party, concluded this by stating that “the center actually thinks left.”
Despite this enthusiasm for the wider coalition, Black-Green remains an option for Dröge. She argued that both Black-Green and Green-Red-Red represent governments with a genuine narrative of new beginnings; conversely, if the Union (CDU/CSU) and the SPD govern together, they merely manage stagnation.
Dröge’s comments come in response to recent polling data, which shows the Greens currently polling between 14 and 16 percent, closely trailed by the SPD and the Left party. Mathematically, this movement brings a left-wing majority closer to reality, while the Union is prevented from forming a coalition with the AfD and Left parties due to a formal incompatibility ruling. Both Black-Green and Green-Red-Red would represent political alliances that have never governed Germany at the federal level before.
For the Greens, this shift in strategy is unusual. Dröge admitted to “Zeit” that the party had previously been reluctant to consider both Black-Green and Green-Red-Red. However, she declared her intention to approach both parties and clearly define her terms for negotiation.
