Greens in European elections: Smiling, Baerbock makes an allusion to Habeck | EUROtoday

DWhat is shocking about this Friday night is that there are nonetheless rallies of the red-green-yellow site visitors mild events the place there isn’t a shouting, whistling and abuse. Where chants of “warmongers, warmongers” and “Free Palestine” are usually not loudly attempting to drown out the audio system. Where the police and safety crews can blink nearly relaxed into the low solar and at most a number of gray-clad pseudo-jokers from “The Party” present distraction. The Greens' European election marketing campaign is coming to an finish within the Cologne district of Ehrenfeld. It's a bit prefer it was once.

The celebration has placed on a fairly large present on the sq. in entrance of the normal Neptunbad. Annalena Baerbock is there, the international minister. Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour, the 2 celebration leaders. Terry Reintke, the European high candidate who’s, nonetheless, solely reasonably well-known even after lengthy weeks of election campaigning.

As effectively as Mona Neubaur, the Green NRW Minister for Economic Affairs. In her speech, she is especially conspicuous in her efforts to unite with entrepreneurs and firms and advocates for a coverage “that does not dictate what is good over people's heads”, however for a coverage “that invites, that forges alliances, perhaps even with those with whom we had not forged alliances ten years ago”.

Clear, black-green tones which have been heard extra usually from the Vice Chancellor lately. But Robert Habeck, who at the moment misses no alternative to current himself as his celebration's future candidate for chancellor, canceled his look on the last rally at quick discover. Instead, this night in Berlin he might be brooding over the 2025 federal finances with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), which is prone to be much more forward-looking for the survival of the site visitors mild coalition than the results of the European elections this Sunday.

An unexpected absence that really prompts Habeck's intra-party rival Baerbock to make a small dig. In current months, she has nearly stoically ignored the Vice Chancellor's fixed ambitions. Now she says: “And Robert Habeck – that's the nice thing about working as a team in Alliance 90/The Greens – yes? – then two ministers can be in Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia at the same time and actually say exactly the same thing.”

And when she says “Yes?” she smiles so charmingly and mischievously on the viewers that you possibly can simply imagine that she would possibly steal the present from “dear Robert” once more subsequent autumn.

Stately in inexperienced

But it has not come to that, and it in all probability gained't come to that. In Cologne-Ehrenfeld, Foreign Minister Baerbock is standing on the rostrum and saying such very statesmanlike sentences:

“What incredible luck that we, our generation, have been able to grow up and live in peace and freedom throughout our lives. That is the greatest gift we have, and that is: the European Union.”

“That is why, especially these days, we are doing everything we can to ensure that the people of Ukraine, just a few hours' flight away from us, can one day live in peace and freedom again. That is our responsibility.”

“We will support Ukraine as long as it needs us.”

“It is entirely in the hands of Vladimir Putin to finally get peace underway.”

“It is not a contradiction to make it clear: We are doing everything to ensure that people in Israel can live in peace, security and freedom. And we are doing everything to ensure that people in Gaza and the Palestinian territories can one day have their own state and also live in freedom and security.”

Big phrases, an bold election marketing campaign speech, certain, however for now no hidden coup towards the Vice Chancellor.

On this heat June night, nonetheless, the Green Party chief is primarily liable for attacking political opponents. In her emotional speech, Ricarda Lang personally assaults Friedrich Merz particularly. The Green Party management evidently continues to treat the CDU chief as an enemy picture that optimally motivates its personal clientele.

In Cologne, Lang accuses Merz of not having talked about the flood catastrophe in southern Germany “even once” in his speech to the Bundestag on safety final Thursday. A considerably nitpicking accusation from which the Green Party chief additionally deduces that the Union has got down to roll again local weather safety on the European stage. “Friedrich Merz's ignorance of climate policy,” Lang rages, is “a slap in the face of the people in the flood areas.” Great applause on Cologne's Neptunplatz.

Despite all of the dedication that the Greens are displaying right here, there’s one factor they won’t be able to forestall. The celebration will emerge as the largest loser from the European elections on Sunday. The 20.5 % that the Greens achieved 5 years in the past won’t be achieved this yr, given the at greatest mediocre pre-election polls. A lack of 5 to seven % appears sensible. Election researchers are usually not predicting losses of this magnitude for another celebration.

The Greens have set their election goal accordingly low. They don’t wish to do worse than the AfD on Sunday, it was stated at a small celebration convention final weekend. According to calculations revealed on Thursday by the analysis group Wahlen (Politbarometer), the 2 events are at the moment precisely tied when it comes to voter approval at 14 %. This can be why Ricarda Lang actually turned it up on the finish of her speech.

According to the Green Party chief, the European elections are additionally about “whether we or the AfD are ahead”. “Green or blue”. That is definitely one of many extra thrilling questions that must be answered on this election Sunday.