interview
Nina Stahr sits for the Greens in the Bundestag – still. She could lose her mandate in the repeat election on February 11th if not enough Berliners go to the polls. She says there’s more at stake than her future.
Ms. Stahr, how strange it is, in the middle of the legislative period Election campaign respectively?
This is a challenging situation, also because the election will only be repeated in individual voting districts. We have to mobilize our members for the election campaign, hang up posters and occupy stands. But I’m really impressed by how many people are taking part, especially in Pankow, where there is a lot of re-election, but also in other districts.
Are there any differences to traditional election campaigns?
We are holding information stands and events as usual, although of course less…
… around 550,000 Berliners are called to vote, around a fifth of all eligible voters.
Since we know exactly where people vote, we can organize the doorstep campaign much more specifically to address people and tell them why it’s worth going to the polls and that their vote really counts.
Don’t you first have to explain to people why they’re voting again?
Yes, some are already asking why there is another election now. But people always know whether they can vote or not. Above all, you have to explain why it is important to vote, even if nothing decisive changes to the overall result of the last federal election. Because it is also important that voter turnout is high so that Berlin continues to be strongly represented.
There are currently 29 Berlin members of parliament Bundestag. Whether it stays that way depends on voter turnout.
Correct. And people understand that too. Around a quarter of those eligible to vote have already applied for a postal vote. So something is definitely happening.
For you personally, it’s about your political future. If voter turnout is too low, the Berlin Greens could lose a mandate to the Greens in North Rhine-Westphalia – then their place in the Bundestag would be lost. Isn’t that a bit strange when you have to rely on a lot of people going to the polls, regardless of which party they vote for?
Well, it’s not quite like that. I also have to mobilize as many people as possible to vote for the Greens. Around 70 percent of those who voted for the Greens in the affected areas last time would have to do so again now. That’s around 80,000 voters. And it’s about a good result for the democratic parties as a whole. The past few weeks have shown that we have to fight for this democracy. That’s why it’s important to me that people go to the polls and vote for a democratic party, because that way they strengthen democracy as a whole.
In 2023, the mood towards the Greens was quite heated. Do you have the impression that things are turning around again?
Yes. Last year we had a repeat of the House of Representatives election in Berlin. The election campaign back then was highly polarized. Suddenly it was, for example, cars versus bikes, which doesn’t reflect our goal of a fair distribution of urban space. We had a lot of headwind there. That is definitely different in this election campaign.
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What are you up to?
People are friendlier, even when they tell us that the Greens are not their party. They then say: I don’t choose you, but it’s still good that you exist. I think it has something to do with the fact that people simply realized: We need this democracy. And we need different parties that pursue different interests, but still fight for the best solutions in a democratic way. This is also reflected in our membership numbers. Around 3,700 members joined nationwide in January. In Berlin there were already 250 in just a few weeks.
Do you get support from party celebrities like Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck?
Yes, we have our campaign climax on February 6th. Robert Habeck will be there. Annalena Baerbock also offered support. For example, she was already at the information stand with our direct candidate in Pankow, Stefan Gelbhaar.
There has recently been a big bang in the Berlin regional association of the Greens. You are interim chairmen because it was not possible to agree on new chairmen. That’s not advertising effective, is it?
I think this is what drives the Green Party in particular. Yes, there was commotion and there was a bang. I don’t want to argue that away. But we have already come a long way and people have calmed down. I rarely come across this in the election campaign.
Ms. Stahr, if you were to lose your mandate in North Rhine-Westphalia, Franziska Krumwiede-Steiner would be on the state list there without even having campaigned. Do you know each other?
No, not any closer. We once talked about what if. However, we are not assuming this at the moment and will talk about it after February 11th if necessary.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
