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Cem Özdemir Urges Greens to Hold Centrist Line Ahead of Baden-Württemberg Vote

He advocates for ecological pricing to turn markets into climate allies, sharpening the Greens’ distinct profile ahead of the 2026 state vote.

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Cem Özdemir bei einer Veranstaltung für Unternehmer in Stuttgart
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Will nicht, daß seine Partei den Weg der SPD einschlägt: Cem Özdemir (Grüne). Foto: IMAGO / Kessler-Sportfotografie

Overview

  • Özdemir warns his party against a leftward shift, urging it to avoid framing itself as a better CDU, SPD or Left Party.
  • He cites the SPD’s post-Agenda 2010 trajectory as a cautionary tale that fueled worker support for the AfD.
  • Asserting the Greens are the only bourgeois opposition, he calls for an autonomous policy course centered on independent ecological solutions.
  • He proposes aligning prices with ecological truth to incentivize investment in CO₂-neutral technologies and win over market stakeholders.
  • The intervention intensifies an ongoing debate with the Green Youth, who have pressed for a more radical climate agenda and closer ties to the SPD and Left Party ahead of the March 2026 vote.