Cem Özdemir: “If I become prime minister, I want to go where the AfD has the highest results” | EUROtoday

Cem Özdemir holds up the pretzel with peanut butter within the brown paper bag and beams throughout his face. The whole auditorium within the Weil der Stadt college middle cheers and applauds. This particular butter pretzel combines “the best culinary from two worlds”, specifically Swabia and Canada, mentioned the non-party mayor Christian Walter on Monday night.

The pastries are purported to be a marriage current as a result of three days earlier, shortly after midnight on Valentine’s Day, Özdemir married his Canadian-born companion Flavia Zaka. They had been married within the city corridor of Tübingen by the non-party mayor Boris Palmer, a long-time pal of Özdemir.

The undeniable fact that the Green Party’s main candidate is having his second marriage in the midst of the Baden-Württemberg state election marketing campaign has been making headlines for days. Some discover it over-staged, others see this benevolently as a dedication to bourgeoisie. In any case, the wedding must be a welcome anecdote for future performances, equivalent to in Weil der Stadt, a commune west of Stuttgart.

Almost 400 individuals got here to the auditorium on Rose Monday night, whereas “Fasnet”, the Swabian model of carnival, was celebrated in lots of locations. Özdemir needed to go to the auditorium as a result of all of the bigger halls had been already occupied. But that does not trouble him, a number of chairs on a stage are sufficient for him and folks come. The former Green Mayor Palmer can be there, as is the mayor of the neighboring municipality of Ostelsheim, Ryyan Alshebl, who got here to Germany from Syria in 2015. The 32-year-old has each nationalities – and the Green social gathering register. He is the primary and thus far solely municipal chief of Syrian origin in Germany.

Palmer and Alshebl assist Özdemir as sidekicks, though the roles additionally change briefly on stage. Özdemirs, for his half, distributes compliments to the opposite two, appreciating them, nevertheless it at all times stays clear who helps whom. Özdemir is seen right here because the “perhaps future Minishder president”, though the “maybe” is commonly omitted.

Greens make positive factors in survey in Baden-Württemberg

The Greens lately gained three proportion factors to 23 p.c in a survey, whereas the CDU stagnated at 29 p.c. Özdemir can be significantly better identified than CDU frontman Manuel Hagel, and if the top of presidency might be elected instantly, which isn’t attainable, Özdemir could be clearly forward.

The Greens are combating for his or her political supremacy, which they’ve owed over the previous 15 years primarily to their conservative, bourgeois Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann – and to nice dissatisfaction with the CDU. However, issues have modified politically. The Greens have fallen out of favor in lots of locations within the closely rural state, additionally due to the failed site visitors mild federal authorities and a zeitgeist that’s shifting politically to the suitable. At the identical time, the as soon as dominant CDU within the southwest is experiencing a brand new upswing with the rise of its younger conservative chief Hagel.

So far, a black-green authorities possibility is taken into account the most probably. However, simply three weeks earlier than the election on March eighth, the political state of affairs stays misleading. This can be as a result of AfD. The far-right social gathering, which is being noticed right here as a suspected extremist case by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is, as in different federal states, experiencing robust progress and is at 20 p.c. She is counting on disillusioned CDU core voters, which couldn’t solely hurt the Christian Democrats. Since 2011, quite a few CDU supporters have voted for the Greens.

How lots of them will return to the CDU or vote for the AfD and even the rising Left is unsure. Unpredictability additionally outcomes from a novelty on the poll field: for the primary time, these eligible to vote within the state cannot solely forged one vote for the direct candidate, however two votes: the primary for the direct candidate and the second for a celebration.

Özdemir: “We live in a fantastic country”

In any case, it’s simpler to market your personal alternatives in such unsure occasions. In this time of disaster, Özdemir needs to face out from these calling for doom and ship a optimistic message. He needs to turn out to be a “Prime Minister of Enabling,” he says in Weil der Stadt. “Despite all the criticism: We live in a fantastic country. Many people in the world would like to deal with our problems.” Özdemir factors to Mayor Alshebl, who was unsure whether or not he would survive on his approach to Germany. “Despite all the criticism, we’re always grateful that we’re in a democracy.” It’s an excellent nation, the Greens wish to make it higher. “That’s the difference to the AfD, they want to destroy it,” says Özdemir to nice applause.

Alschebl himself talks concerning the “Ostelsheim experiment”: Apparently “his experience counted, not his background” when he was elected. Many residents “jumped over their shadow”. He says that he has had two lives and is aware of that one can have a a lot worse life. “We’re doing really well here,” says Alshebl. But he additionally complains about how sluggish issues are in Germany.

This night, Özdemir can be eager about displaying that migration has good sides. This is a serious concern for the highest candidate, whose dad and mom come from Turkey. He himself was born in Bad Urach and sometimes needed to endure disadvantages. Mayor Palmer says with a view to Özdemir, Alshebl and the African-born presenter Jenny Mushegara. “Sitting here with three people who don’t look like Vikings, talking about how we can make our country better, gives me hope.”

Özdemir needs to “change the way we make decisions”

Özdemir sees the financial system as an important difficulty and emphasizes that the legislature should restrict itself to at least one core. He broadcasts a “rule exemption law” and a reversal of the burden of proof. Reporting obligations for corporations and state representatives ought to subsequently not apply if the state parliament doesn’t actively determine to take action. He needs to alter the executive tradition, “reverse the way we make decisions,” and the administration ought to substitute its “basic distrust” with “basic trust” within the residents.

Palmer shares a latest instance. A number of dozen individuals had been not allowed into the complete auditorium that night and watched the occasions outdoors by way of reside stream. He would have introduced individuals in, however rules would prohibit that. He then complains concerning the “fire safety phobia” in colleges. Billions of {dollars} had been invested in hearth safety in colleges; this was purely “liability regulation”. He “just doesn’t feel like such madness.”

At the tip there’s a query and reply session. Spectators are allowed to jot down their issues on beer mats. The first goes one thing like this: The Greens are the “regulation party”, key phrase heating legislation, what has modified for the Greens? “We learned a lot and made mistakes,” says Özdemir. But the gross sales figures for warmth pumps would enhance and the craftsmen would earn good cash from them. He subsequently criticizes Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU), who’s questioning this once more: “This only punishes German craftsmen.”

Another is: “How do you plan to weaken the AfD when it comes to internal security?” Özdemir speaks of the duty of successful again voters from the AfD. You need to hear, you should not flip individuals away, even if you happen to do not just like the questions. And then he makes an announcement: “If I become prime minister, I want to go where the AfD has the highest results. I want to face the debate there. Anything can be asked, everyone can come, everyone can say anything, but they also have to live with my answers.” One of an important duties is to “do everything we can to ensure that we do not slip into US-American conditions”.

Özdemir distances himself from the federal Greens, provocatively calling them the “sister party” and saying: “We are the Gallic village in the federal party.” Palmer’s assist provides to this. The uncomfortable, ultra-pragmatic mayor left the Greens after severe variations, however he remained loyal to Özdemir. The 53-year-old distinguishes himself as an unconventional native politician and complains entertainingly anecdotally concerning the absurdities of forms and administrative slowdowns.

Elsewhere, Özdemir additionally emphasizes an ultra-pragmatic method: When it involves political proposals, it would not matter the place they arrive from, however slightly whether or not they’re good or dangerous. This is the one manner Baden-Württemberg may be ruled.

Then an hour and a half is over, Özdemir additionally thanks those that waited outdoors. Ostelsheim’s mayor Alshebl unexpectedly asks a fragile query. It’s about Palmer. Alshebl himself had beforehand mentioned {that a} new state authorities wanted somebody who would handle the effectivity of authorities, and he “couldn’t imagine anyone better than Boris Palmer” to try this.

When the farewell applause died down, Alshebl requested the next query: “We haven’t clarified one thing yet: Will Boris become a minister?” The spectators chortle. Özdemir replies humorously and significantly: “You don’t distribute the bear’s fur while the bear is still quilting.” That has one thing to do with humility. And then one thing else: “Anyone who talks to me as a minister usually won’t.” There is a precept: “If you can’t serve, you can’t lead.”

Kristian Frigelj experiences for WELT on federal and state political points, notably from North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg.