Cem Özdemir, the Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg, warned that the parties currently in exploratory talks to form a government in Berlin-The Greens, SPD, and Linke (Left)-are engaged in a “competition of escalating promises” to achieve the “leftmost policy.” Özdemir stated to the “Welt am Sonntag” that citizens must rely on Berlin being governed solidly, rather than being subjected to a race to the bottom to see who can be the most radical.
Regarding antisemitism, he stressed that clear red lines are necessary and accused current politics of lacking courage. The Grünen politician added that the parties must stop chasing the fringes, a warning he extended even to his own party, arguing that doing so only strengthens those ultra-radical elements.
Özdemir also rejected the assertion made by the Greens’ faction leader, Katharina Dröge, that the political center is shifting to the left. The Minister-President countered that the center is not ticking left or right; “the center simply thinks reasonably.” Furthermore, he explicitly declined to equate the Left Party with the Alternative for Germany (AfD). He noted that the need for discussions with the Linke in Berlin is partly attributable to CDU’s election results, which the CDU must largely attribute to itself, adding that any partners who engage with the Linke should not be equally radical.
On the matter of becoming one of the newly created government representatives within the party council, Özdemir stated that he is already heavily occupied and does not feel compelled to pursue additional activities. However, he expressed willingness to contribute if there is interest in the executive experience-that is, how the policies theoretically decided upon translate into practical governance. He concluded by stating that if the national party chooses to take him on, it must decide whether it can manage a “Cem Özdemir.”
