Overview
- Carola Rackete formally relinquished her seat in the European Parliament on July 9 after one year in office.
- She said her non-partisan candidacy on The Left’s ticket was designed to foster party renewal through a collective mandate.
- Rackete plans to refocus on extraparliamentary climate protests and environmental campaigns outside institutional politics.
- Martin Günther of Brandenburg will succeed her and intends to continue her fight for climate justice in the EU.
- Rackete first gained prominence in 2019 as captain of the Sea-Watch 3 when she defied an Italian ban to dock at Lampedusa with rescued migrants.