Greens: Habeck remains in the Bundestag

Green Chancellor candidate Robert Habeck remains in the Bundestag. He accepted the mandate, he announced in a video spread on social media. The day after the election, Habeck had announced that he no longer wanted to have a top office with the Greens. This had triggered speculation that he could do without his Bundestag mandate.

The result of 11.6 percent in the election was disappointing for the Greens, after 14.7 percent in the last federal election. The party had dragged into the race with Habeck as a candidate for chancellor and had at least relied on a government participation – a hope that has now smashed.

Habeck: don’t stick to power

Habeck said in the video: “I always wanted to be a politician who doesn’t stick to power, who does not say: Yes, the election result is not quite as good, but actually it is much better than you think – and therefore post with the next.” That is why he said that in the next chapter of the Greens he did not claim a leadership position. “But that does not mean that I now somehow stop to exist as a political person. I accept the Bundestag mandate.”

He was still in office as a minister and will organize the transition to the next government properly, said Habeck. “And then of course it’s about the Greens and let’s say, the liberal, progressive forces in this country are now new and strong.” A black and red alliance is the government, which he has always warned – because in the past it has not proven that it made brave and determined decisions that Germany needs.

List place two of the Greens in Schleswig-Holstein

Habeck did not get the direct mandate in his constituency Flensburg-Schleswig, here the 55-year-old lost to a CDU politician. But he was also in second place on the Green List of Greens for Schleswig-Holstein and moved into the Bundestag on this way.

Leading role in the traffic lights

Habeck had a central role in the traffic light coalition of the SPD, FDP and Greens, which failed in November, together with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and former finance minister Christian Lindner (FDP). The new strong man in the SPD is party and faction leader Lars Klingbeil, Scholz wants to stay in the Bundestag as a member of the Bundestag. Lindner announced his withdrawal from the FDP after the liberals missed the move into the Bundestag.

As Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, Habeck had contributed to the securing of energy supply to Russia’s attack on Ukraine and made progress in expanding renewable energies – but also massive criticism with the heating law. He is also criticized because of the continuing weakness of growth in the German economy.

Tens of thousands of supporters

In an open letter, tens of thousands called for Habeck’s remaining in politics. In a time full of crises, “people – and even important leaders – like you,”, says the description of an online petition that was launched on Monday and has now been signed by almost 320,000 people.