Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) rules out a one-man show by Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck with the Greens. “It is inconceivable that the Greens would align themselves with a single person – and that would not be in the spirit of Robert Habeck,” she told the newspapers of the Funke media group (Wednesday editions).
“He already has an outstanding position as Vice Chancellor, and he will also have it as the Greens’ likely top candidate.” Lemke called speculation that the Greens could turn into something like an alliance nonsense. “The Greens wouldn’t let that happen to them and it’s in the party’s DNA,” she said.
Lemke emphasized: “We have a clear quota system that allows exceptions in order to elect individual top candidates. But we will never give up our claim to reflect the diversity of the party in leadership and to ensure that women have more than just a say.”
When asked whether the Greens were not nominating a candidate for chancellor, Lemke said: “I don’t think the question of whether we nominate a candidate for chancellor or a top candidate is crucial. The decisive factor will be who the people of our country want to give responsibility for the present and future to in the federal election.”
Lemke does not necessarily see the heating law for which Habeck is responsible as a liability for a top candidacy. “Mistakes were made in the draft of the Heating Act a year and a half ago, which Robert Habeck has since admitted – I don’t know how often,” said the minister. “These errors have been corrected, deadlines have been significantly extended and the installation of heat pumps is properly subsidized by the state. In this respect, it shouldn’t be a mortgage. But it is of course true that something has stuck there and that the opposition never tires of harping on this first draft instead of applauding and saying: It’s good that someone has the greatness to not only fix mistakes, but also admit them. “
Lemke warned the Greens must “think and act more consistently based on the reality of people’s lives and less based on abstract European goals or abstract scientific findings.” At the same time, the party must “make it more clear that our goal naturally revolves around people and aims to stabilize their living conditions and their future prospects.” When it comes to the new flood protection law, she points out very specifically that it’s about property, life and limb.
dts news agency
Photo: Green politicians Bsirske, Lemke, Habeck, Haßelmann (archive), via dts news agency
