Germany’s Green Party Names Annalena Baerbock Chancellor Candidate

Annalena Baerbock, the German Green Party’s candidate for chancellor. (Wikimedia Commons)

Germany’s Green Party, Die Grünen, named Annalena Baerbock as their first-ever candidate for chancellor on April 19. With Angela Merkel stepping down after the September elections, the party is capitalizing on the opportunity to fill her seat. 

Baerbock’s political career began in 2013 when she won a seat in the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament. In 2018, she was chosen as co-leader of the Green Party, along with Robert Habeck, whose political career began in 2009 after he was elected to the Schleswig-Holsteinischer Landtag, the state parliament of the German state Schleswig-Holstein. There was thus some speculation that the party would choose Habeck, the more senior and perhaps experienced of the two, to run for chancellor. However,  the New York Times speculates that the party chose Baerbock because “the party is positioning itself to appeal not only to Germans drawn to its traditional stance on environmental protection, but also those who seek a more dynamic, youthful presence in a country that has been under the leadership of the same conservative chancellor for 16 years.” In a display of unity and civility, Habeck introduced Baerbock as the party’s candidate on April 16, declaring, “Annalena, the stage is all yours.”

As a member of the Green Party, Baerbock’s platform emphasizes the country’s obligation to mitigate climate change. More specifically, she believes it is crucial to end Germany’s use of coal-powered energy long before the current goal date of 2038, and told DW that she wants to implement “a European and transatlantic Green Deal.” 

Baerbock and the Green Party are also calling for Germany to take a more assertive stance on foreign policy issues during the coming parliamentary cycle, especially against authoritarian regimes. For instance, they publicly and strongly disapprove of the EU’s investment deal with China, which aims to provide EU investors with greater access to Chinese markets, and are critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “aggressive great power policy,” such as his annexation of Crimea. While accepting the nomination, Baerbock warned, “If Germany’s voice in foreign policy fails - be it with regard to the tensions in Ukraine or the attitude towards Russia … - then Europe will be destroyed.”

Baerbock’s candidacy poses a threat to the 16-year-long reign of the conservative Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), a group that has become increasingly weakened by internal divides and has suffered from lackluster leadership during  the COVID-19 pandemic thus far. Its popularity has plummeted in recent months, dropping from 36 percent on January 1 to 27 percent on April 20. Meanwhile, support for the Green Party rose from 18 to 23 percent. These numbers indicate that even if Baerbock loses the election, the Green Party could still gain considerable power by forming a coalition with the CDU/CSU. 

Regardless of the electoral outcome on September 26, the Green Party is on track to be a powerful player in Germany’s political future.