In a historic development, Winfried Kretschmann is set to become the first Green Minister-President of a German state. The German Green Party has emerged as the senior partner in a coalition with the Social Democratic Party that has captured the state assembly or Landtag in Baden-Württemberg. The coalition defeated the conservative incumbent, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which had led the government of the very wealthy province for almost 58 years. On a turnout of 66 per cent, the Greens more than doubled their 2006 vote-share to 24 per cent, which gave them 36 seats. The CDU remains the biggest single party with 60 seats, but the new alliance will have a majority of four over the bloc formed by the CDU and its ally, the Free Democrat Party (FDP), which lost eight of its 15 seats. Further, the CDU-FDP share of seats in the powerful federal upper chamber, the Bundesrat, will fall in proportion to their regional losses — and Mr. Kretschmann will also have a Bundesrat vote. One consequence is that the CDU national leader and federal Chancellor Angela Merkel will find it even harder to get legislation passed.
Ms Merkel has blamed her party's losses on the stream of bad news from the wrecked Japanese nuclear plant at Fukushima. The Chancellor lost a lot of credibility by announcing a 12-year extension to the life of all 17 German nuclear plants and then doing a U-turn post-Fukushima to state that seven plants built before 1980 would be closed down for three months. But German public opposition to nuclear power, although strong and of long standing, forms only a part of the Greens' strength. Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, has been the focus of controversy over a multi-billion-euro plan to redevelop the central station as part of a high-speed rail link across Europe. The plan, called Stuttgart 21, catalysed a feeling among ordinary people that they were being subordinated to big business; after the election, the national rail company Deutsche Bahn suspended the project. But the news for the Chancellor is even worse. Voters across Germany are deserting the pro-market conservative and Right parties. The rising political stock of the Greens was reflected in a tripled vote-share of 15.4 per cent in Rhineland-Palatinate, which also elected a new assembly on March 27. In this contest, the FDP did not even get the 5 per cent needed for one seat. The most significant implication seems to be that ordinary German voters now want to address concerns and issues very different from those of the mainstream parties. The Greens have an unprecedented chance to initiate significant changes in the style and substance of German politics.
Keywords: FDP, German voters, Christian Democratic Union, Fukushima nuclear plant, Chancellor Angela Merkel, German Green Party
It is really unprecedented Winfried Kretschmann is set to become the first Green Minister-President of a German state. It will be difficult to keep all promises The Green Party gave. To be in office (coalition with The Social Democratic Party) will show how The Green Party and movement can implement its policies and ideas.
Pragmatic steps are essential and to figure out a framework that the successful political work of the former government can be continued.
Fukushima was essential that The Green Party performed so excellent during the election and its opposition against Stuttgart 21. The Green movement stuck to its convictions, voters were convinced and now The Green Party has time to implement a lot of ideas and policies.
The greens coming into the mainstream politics is such a wonderful and healthy sign in German politics. For years the greens had promoted people-friendly, ecology-friendly, healthy politics but were always considered the minority and almost set aside as a fringe party.With the win in B-W and also the increase in Rheinland-platinate and in Hessen. The greens are slowly and surely being considered seriously and moving into mainstream acceptance. It would be a wonderful day when we hope and pray that a green chancellor would emerge in Berlin. Ah that would be a proud day when the most important country in EU would be leading with example that green politics and development, innovation and leadership are no contradictory. That day Germany would lead the world again.
Though the greens successfully used both Fukushima and Stuttgart 21 to their advantage, it remains to be seen how far they can go in both these issues, given that the monetary stakes are quite high. Their coalition partner, SPD's committment to the rail project and the high cost of reimbursements and compensation to the contracted companies (if the project is scrapped) may force a rethink of their strategy, denting their increased support. Though there is a huge opposition to nuclear energy, there are concerns on over dependence on fossil fuels and imports from Russia. So how the greens handle these two main critical issues, may well decide their future.
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