After the state elections in Baden Württemberg and Rhineland‑Palatinate, Anton Hofreiter, the chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the Bundestag and a member of the Greens, called for greater personalisation within his party.
He told the “Tagesspiegel” (Tuesday edition) that Cem Özdemir’s electoral victory “has shown us that it makes a big difference when you fight for first place”. “For us that means we must shake the SPD off our backs to get into a duel‑situation” Hofreiter said, recalling his former role as the Greens’ parliamentary group leader.
While he calls it a “silly debate” he stresses that the federal Greens need to look like the state Greens in Baden Württemberg. The party must have “known people whom the public trusts and who stand by themselves” he added, demanding more freedom for the party’s top leadership. “People don’t want voice‑robot‑like figures repeating the same lines” he warned.
Hofreiter also urged the Greens to scrutinise their policy positions. “We certainly need clearer stances” he said, listing issues such as conscription and a proposed societal year that the party should clarify in the coming year.
“I am advocating for a compulsory societal year” Hofreiter stated, arguing that it is a timely measure. “Conscription will eventually come back, as the Bundeswehr is facing serious personnel problems” he told the press. “A societal year that applies to both men and women-and where one can choose the type of service-represents the most progressive option we have”.
