Greens in Baden-Württemberg agree to coalition agreement with CDU

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The Greens in Baden-Württemberg approved the coalition agreement with the CDU with a large majority.

At the digital state party conference on Saturday, 188 delegates voted yes, 23 no, and 9 abstained.

If the state CDU also approves this Saturday, the Green Winfried Kretschmann can be elected Prime Minister for the third time on Wednesday.

Kretschmann had previously urged a yes to the coalition agreement.

“This is the greenest coalition agreement of all time.

And by that I don't just mean Baden-Württemberg, but the entire republic, ”said Kretschmann at the party conference in Stuttgart, which largely took place virtually due to Corona.

The CDU decided to "renew the foundations of our country" together with the Greens.

That deserves respect.

"This renewal contract is green, but not because we gagged the CDU, but because the times demand it."

Before the coalition negotiations, the Greens had clearly opposed Kretschmann's wish to govern with the Union again.

Many in the party would have preferred to enter into a traffic light alliance with the SPD and FDP.

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In his speech, the head of government asked for understanding that not all projects could be implemented immediately due to the lack of money in the state budget.

“We have to make a precise distinction between things that are necessary and necessary to move our country forward.

And things that are desirable but cannot be financed at the moment. ”But he is confident that in a year or two the tax sources will gush again more strongly.

Most recently, there had been criticism, especially from climate protectors, that green-black was also making compromises in terms of climate protection because of the budget reservation.

Kretschmann said: “Don't worry.

I promise you: We will implement the most ambitious climate protection program that we have ever had. "

Nevertheless, at the state party congress there was again criticism that the coalition was also making cuts in climate protection because of the lack of money in the state budget.

"There must be no budget reservation for climate protection," said Lena Schwelling, the former chairman of the Green Youth in the Southwest.

The debt brake offers the possibility of deviating from it in the event of natural disasters.

"If the climate crisis is not a natural disaster, what then?" Asked Schwelling, who is traded as a candidate for the Greens state chairmanship.

"In places I have the feeling that I am reading the green election manifesto"

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Basically, she praised the coalition agreement with the CDU: “This agreement is really impressive. In some places I have the feeling that I am reading the green election manifesto. Debt should not only be viewed financially. The country is lagging behind when it comes to digitization and the renovation of buildings. "We have to catch up." The debts in terms of climate protection are "immeasurably high". One shouldn't burden the next generations with this. "We owe them more than a balanced budget."

The green Bundestag candidate Sebastian Schäfer does not believe the CDU that it is convinced of climate protection. "We know that we cannot trust the Union." The leaders of the CDU had "eaten chalk", but were still almost the same as five years ago. You can tell from the first decisions by Grün-Schwarz, such as the creation of a new ministry. This is not a good idea given the budget reservation. The decision to install a state secretary with a different party color in the ministries for culture and housing is not a good signal either. “That has never worked,” said the economic and financial expert Schäfer.

SPD leader Saskia Esken, on the other hand, criticized the future green-black state government for wanting to cut back on climate protection due to lack of money. "Although the Greens have been the prime minister for ten years, a cash fall has brought the Greens' election program to collapse," said Esken on Saturday in a video message on the occasion of the state party conference of the SPD in Göppingen. Green climate protection is now subject to financing.

With the SPD at a traffic light, there would have been a chance for real renewal, according to Esken in the southwest. SPD regional leader Andreas Stoch also criticized the treaty between the Greens and the CDU: "The coalition agreement with financing proviso is a declaration of bankruptcy for the political formation in Baden-Württemberg." It contains many green dots. He has not yet found the black handwriting.