Green Party Congress: Habeck mentions "unpleasant" situation around house building noise - and pulls at Union

Created: 01/29/2022, 06:22

By: Florian Naumann, Bedrettin Bölükbasi

Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck, still chairmen of the Greens, will take part in their party's federal party conference (online).

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Habeck and Baerbock resign from the Greens.

At the party conference, the ministers spoke about their work as chairmen, the traffic light coalition and topics in their own departments.

News ticker.

• On Friday (January 28), the Greens* started a two-day digital party conference.

• The most prominent item on the agenda: the election of the party leaders on Saturday.

  The federal ministers Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock are no longer allowed to compete*.

• Economics Minister Habeck and Foreign Minister Baerbock spoke at their last party conference as chairmen to the members of the Greens

  (see updates from January 28, from 6:25 p.m.).

• This news ticker is continuously updated.

Baerbock reaffirms German position in Ukraine conflict - Habeck criticizes Union as "inconsistent"

Update from January 28, 8:25 p.m .:

At the Green party conference, the outgoing co-chair and new Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also commented on the Ukraine conflict.

She reaffirmed Germany's position.

The federal government stands by Ukraine's side when it comes to security, defense and economic stability.

"This is one of the most difficult issues," she said of the Ukraine crisis.

Here, in the background of almost 100,000 Russian soldiers on the Ukrainian border, one cannot say "we're not talking about military policy now".

However, in addition to military threats, there are also hybrid attacks, such as "caving out from the inside," says Baerbock.

Update from January 28, 7:20 p.m .:

The outgoing Green Co-Chairman Habeck criticizes the Union against the background of the suspension of KfW funding for efficient houses.

The Union, which was previously responsible for the program, now wants "the funding to be included one-to-one".

At the same time, however, she complains about the climate and investment fund of 60 billion euros, from which the money for the subsidy comes.

This is "not logically consistent," said Habeck.

"In general, consistency is a rare commodity in politics when you listen to the Union's speeches," emphasizes the Green politician, adding: "But that really knocks the bottom out of the barrel."

Should the union prevail, there would be "no more building renovations, not at all and never again".

One should not allow this.

Habeck and Baerbock relinquish Green party leadership – Economics Minister calls funding stop “uncomfortable”

Update from January 28, 7:13 p.m .:

Habeck talks about the “abrupt end” of the KfW funding for efficiency houses by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The bank board was forced to suspend the subsidy "after the money was no longer there," explains Habeck.

He assures that many who had placed their hopes in the funding program would be able to continue to realize their projects.

5 billion euros have been reserved for this purpose.

Although only 1.8 billion euros are now available, this sum can still be “moderately” increased.

"We will still be able to finance some, possibly a lot," says the outgoing chairman.

It was "uncomfortable" to be politically responsible for the decision and "to hold your head for it".

However, the next program will be “more socially oriented”.

But it will still be "a little" before the follow-up program for funding comes, Habeck admitted.

"Nonsensical debate": Habeck appeals to the Greens at the party congress

Update from January 28, 6:55 p.m .:

Habeck speaks again. One should not get carried away in the debate about whether the Greens can be successful in government. The discussion was "nonsensical," said Habeck. After all, they have been in governments for “many, many years”. The governments have become stronger and, with double-digit government participation, have become the party they are today.

"Compromises are the art of politics," stresses Habeck.

They are not the "farewell to one's own ideals".

Good compromises would make good politics.

According to Habeck, the government was heavily involved with the six departments.

At this point he also emphasizes the important role of the cultural resort and refuses to underestimate the area.

“Ok, the Ministry of Transport is missing.

But hey, we have 14.x percent, not 25.x percent, there's always something missing," says the outgoing chairman.

This can be compensated for with the "clever and committed interaction" between the ministries.

Update from January 28, 6:50 p.m .:

After Habeck, Annalena Baerbock is now talking.

She also thanks both the employees present and the “almost 130,000 members distributed digitally throughout the country”.

It was "great four years together," said Baerbock.

The new act announced by Habeck will now only be continued in other roles, says Baerbock.

You look forward to it.

"That's the DNA of our party," emphasizes Baerbock about possible differences of opinion.

“This party thrives on us wrestling, arguing, laughing.

That we sometimes dance too, that we sometimes have tears in our eyes," remarked the outgoing co-chair of the Greens.

After all, you always have to be ready to argue if you want to change something.

Habeck and Baerbock at the Green Party Congress: "It's not goodbye"

Update from January 28, 6:41 p.m .:

Habeck reflects on the work of the last four years after the election as chairman together with Baerbock.

Here he mentions the election campaign in Bavaria, the election campaign in East Germany and the first approach to the 20 percent limit.

A true alliance party was created and this idea was made strong programmatically.

As federal chairmen, you have achieved the goal of leading the Greens into government.

"But it's not a farewell, it's also not the end of an era, as was sometimes read in the newspapers or in the online editors," notes Habeck.

Rather, a new act is now beginning, emphasizes the outgoing chairman.

Update from January 28, 6:33 p.m .:

Robert Habeck speaks first. The last joint appearance with Baerbock was a "strange moment for all sorts of reasons". On the one hand, these are the last speeches as Green Party leader and on the other hand, the hall in which "party battles were fought" is now empty. With this he refers to the virtual holding of the party congress.

In the last few days, due to the “heavy everyday life”, among other things, there was hardly any time for sentiment and no time to prepare a speech, according to Habeck.

The outgoing chairman thanked the few present.

Working with them was "great and great".

"We have always known that the roots on which we are building our future, the future of the party and now, in the best case, of Germany, are you," says Habeck. 

Update from January 28, 6:25 p.m .:

Now Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck take the stage for their speeches at the virtual party conference of the Greens.

Green party conference: "Roots for the future"

Update from January 28, 5.45 p.m .:

The Greens have now started their digital federal party conference under the motto “Roots for the future”.

The outgoing chairmen Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck are to speak soon.

A new chapter is beginning, said the outgoing political director Michael Kellner at the start of the party conference. The Greens had achieved a lot, said Kellner, adding that they were "not a small party anymore". Bucking the trend, the Greens clearly increased their membership. Kellner also referred to the role of the Greens in the governing coalition. "Now a new era begins," he said. It's not about knowing better, but about doing better. This is how his party is measured. That's what the Greens started for, that's what they fought for. "Let's strengthen the roots for the future," he appealed.

Update from January 28, 4:28 p.m .:

The digital party conference of the Greens starts in half an hour.

The candidate for the presidency, Omid Nouripour, had previously given an outlook on his plans - and claimed to make the party the leading force of the center left in Germany.

First, however, it should be worked out what "went wrong" in the recent federal election campaign, Nouripour told

magazine .

With a view to the federal election, Nouripour said: "We were flying at an altitude like never before and at a speed that didn't allow us to properly prepare for it." The foreign politician nevertheless expressed his respect for the predecessors at the top of the party.

"They were the center of gravity of the party." Baerbock in particular had to endure a lot of hate on the Internet, which was "simply brutal".

According to Nouripour, the goal of the Greens remains to nominate the next chancellor.

The outgoing Green Party general manager, Michael Kellner, also brought up his party's candidacy for chancellor again.

"The dream of the chancellor's office is not over just because it didn't work out the first time," Kellner told

.

Habeck and Baerbock go: Greens now want to reduce the influence of the base – is there a risk of party trouble?

Preliminary report:

Berlin - The CDU has already done it, the SPD also - this weekend it's the turn of the Greens: after the federal election, the parties will elect new chairmen.

In the case of the eco-party, there are reasons for the statutes that force Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock* to withdraw.

Omid Nouripour and Ricarda Lang are available as successors.

But the rest of the board is also being thrown around vigorously.

When the Green party conference starts on Friday evening (January 28), it's not just about personal details.

After the rather disappointing result of the federal election, the Greens identified deficits - among other things, this involves the party's ability to act, which has grown considerably.

There is also a controversial proposal on the table: the quorum for objections and motions from the grassroots should be increased.

The most important items on the agenda at a glance.

Greens: Habeck and Baerbock are leaving – Nouripour and Lang want to become boss successors

Minister and party leader at the same time - according to the Greens' statute, this is only possible for a transitional period.

Habeck and Baerbock have to make room.

Hesse Omid Nouripour and the former Green Youth leader Ricarda Lang have positioned themselves as successor candidates.

Your choice is considered almost certain.

report, the only other candidate was

the climate activist Mathias Ilka.

A side problem: Shortly before the party congress, Lang received a positive corona PCR test*.

The candidate for the presidency will be connected from home.

In any case, the new Greens chairmen will have a delicate task ahead of them as mediators between government action and grassroots wishes.

An expert warned in the

in advance of a marginalization of party interests in the new power constellation *.

Incidentally, Habeck and Baerbock will continue to act as co-chairs after their departure as Greens chairmen - in the traffic light coalition committee.

There, the Vice Chancellor and the Foreign Minister will jointly represent the cabinet members of the Greens, as the dpa learned in advance from party circles.

Other members will be the new party leaders and the faction leaders Britta Hasselmann and Katharina Dröge.

Green party conference: waiters and shepherds also leave the board – other personal details

The Greens board, which is comparatively small with six people, has further changes in store.

Managing director Michael Kellner also resigns after his change as state secretary in Habeck's Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The previous “Organizational Managing Director” Emily Büning would like to succeed him as Secretary General equivalent.

She is considered a leftist - and was also the head of the Green Youth.

The latter more than ten years ago.

The Munich MP Jamila Schäfer*, who moved into the Bundestag by direct mandate in the fall, will not run again either.

With Heiko Knopf from Thuringia, Daniel Tiedtke from Saxony, Philipp Schmagold from Schleswig-Holstein and Pegah Edalatian from North Rhine-Westphalia, there are three male and one female candidate for the vice post.

Treasurer Marc Urbatsch wants to stay.

Despite the quarrels about corona bonuses for the party executive and the financial dispute with the chaos state association in Saarland.

He also has an opponent in the North German Horst Peter Preßler-Höft.

The party council is also newly elected.

Here are some celebrities on the ballot - in addition to Habeck and Baerbock also the Bavarian parliamentary group leader Katharina Schulze or the EU politicians Ska Keller and Erik Marquardt.

Green dispute at the digital party conference?

What is on the agenda in terms of content

It seems quite possible that the anger that has repeatedly boiled up in federal politics about the additional Corona allowances for the old party executive will again be an issue.

But Urbatsch, Habeck, Baerbock and Co. can't expect more than harsh words from the base.

Of course, those for negative headlines could also suffice.

The reaction of the base to a planned change in the statutes will be exciting. So far, motions have only been able to be submitted with the votes of only 20 supporters. The result: more than 3,000 applications to be processed at the previous party congress. According to the

, Kellner and the board

now want to raise the quorum to 0.1 percent of the membership - that would be around 130 supporters. From an organizational point of view, there are arguments for the step, but it also comes at a time of concern about the party's dwindling influence on their representatives in the government. Nouirpour had recently named the consequences of membership growth as a problem.

And this time, too, the members have considered the party with some content-related and organizational proposals.

The topics on the agenda include the Olympic boycott, EU taxonomy and the Ukraine crisis.

(

) *

.