Robert Habeck at the federal party conference of the Greens: Long wait, short speech

Und dann trat noch Claudia Roth auf, die an Lautstärke noch immer alle übertrifft und deren höchstfarbiges Kostüm wie üblich jede weitere Dekoration in der holzgetäfelten Kongress-Halle in welken Schatten stellte. „Seien wir Grün mit Herz, Verstand – und Liebe“ rief sie den Delegierten zu, „seien wir einfach knallgrün!!!“

Dann nochmal zwei Los-Redner, eine ukrainische Schriftstellerin, abermals vier Los-Redner und schon war es so spät, dass die meisten Zuschauer des Senders Phoenix schon nach dem Schlafzimmer geblinzelt haben dürften. Dann also Habeck, leibhaftig. Der überraschte dann mit einem kurzen, wuchtigen Auftritt.

In Wiesbaden begann er seine Rede (21:25 Uhr) mit Erinnerungen an den großen Freiheitsmoment des 9. November 1989 und zog rasch eine Linie zum Kampf der Ukraine um ein Leben, das ihnen Frieden in Freiheit eintragen soll.

Doch die Werte alleine, reichten nicht, der Freiheit zum Sieg zu verhelfen. „Es ist nicht sicher, dass das Unwahrscheinliche nicht auch in Europa und Deutschland passiert“. Dagegen müsse das Land, müsse Europa sich wappnen. Der Parteitag habe jetzt die Aufgabe: „den Unterschied zu markieren, dem Land sagen, was in der Welt los ist, dass die Autokratien einen gemeinsamen Angriff auf die demokratischen Werte“ begonnen hätten. Es seien „fossile Regime“ allesamt, die jetzt auch im Westen – Blick nach Amerika – „Geldadel und autokratische Macht“ eine Verbindung eingingen. Es brauche dem gegenüber „ein Bündnis der Demokratien in einer Europäischen Union, die stark und stärker werden muss“.

Germany’s task there is to “lead in a serving manner” and to put itself at the service of the cause. And this – just as the understanding of what integration and social issues mean, only exists here, only in this hall,” shouted Habeck, ending his speech after barely ten minutes to loud applause from the delegates.

A week and a half ago, the top Green politician published hints of a candidacy in a first, sensitive advertising film. Because he hummed a melody by the songwriter Herbert Grönemeyer – illegally, as he explained through his lawyer – the film disappeared from the Internet as quickly as a shooting star from the evening sky. On Friday, Habeck made another film at a friend’s kitchen table. In it he presented his application, including for chancellor if the voters wanted it. In any case, an unusual approach to the task, to the party conference, to the election campaign.

Baerbock – recently part of a “top duo” – had previously approached it more conventionally and spoke for three quarters of an hour. She called on the party to give people security. The Greens have always stood for change. Looking at the last few years of the traffic light coalition and the break, she said that it might have been a “tick too much change” even for the Greens. We have learned that change cannot only be beautiful, “that it challenges us to the limit”.

With a view to the election campaign, the Foreign Minister said: “Our responsibility as a progressive party is now, above all, to provide security.” Baerbock warned that the “enemies of progress and freedom” were playing on people’s uncertainty, worry and fear. Now we have to “make our strong country even more robust, especially in stormy times, instead of badmouthing it every day.” She also said a “social, strong state” was the best protection against external attacks.

With her speech, Baerbock initiated the debate on the current situation at the 50th Federal Delegates Conference of the Greens. Omid Nouripour had previously said goodbye to the delegates; Ricarda Lang will do the same on Saturday. The two party leaders had held their positions for almost three years and at the end of September, after losing a series of state elections, declared that they would not run again.

Both are running for the German Bundestag, Lang in Backnang, Baden-Württemberg, Nouripour wants to defend his direct mandate in Frankfurt. Their designated successors, Franziska Brantner and Felix Banaszak, will face the vote of around 840 delegates at the Wiesbaden party conference on Saturday.

The delegates also want to discuss, among other things, proposals for the rich tax and migration policy. Controversial debates are expected, and there were attempts to vote on numerous amendments until Friday. Baerbock defended compromises on migration policy in the coalition in recent months and said with regard to migration that one must not only work for humanity, but also for order. One is convinced that the two are closely related.

On Sunday, Habeck is to be nominated as a candidate for chancellor in the federal election. In an emergency application for his candidacy published on Thursday, he is not even described as the top candidate, but rather as a “candidate for the people of Germany”. After all, it says: “Robert Habeck has what it takes to be a good Chancellor.”

He should retain his prominent role, but appear in the “top duo” with Baerbock. This formally underlines the prominent role of the two most important Greens. When he said goodbye, Nouripour spoke of the “two faces” of the party.

In nationwide surveys, the Greens are currently between ten and twelve percent. After all, according to the federal office, a good 9,000 new membership applications have been received since the traffic light coalition broke up; with almost 140,000 members, the party is larger than ever before. Outgoing Federal Managing Director Emily Büning announced at the opening of the party conference that 725,000 euros have already been donated for the election campaign. “The election campaign will be tough and that’s why we need all of you,” she said. The Greens will probably have to hold the next party conference at the end of January to adopt the election program.

After the debate on Friday evening, the delegates should vote for a proposal from the Federal Executive Board, which lays a basis for the future election program. In it, the FDP is assigned responsibility for the break in the coalition and the government’s successes are listed (including the expansion of renewable energies, the immigration of skilled workers and the 49-euro ticket). There is also talk of compromises at the “pain threshold” in the coalition.

At the latest, the re-election of Donald Trump put “defense capability and the willingness to invest more in Europe’s sovereignty at the top of the political priorities for the coming years”. “The turning point in military, civil and disaster protection as well as internal security must be continued and strengthened,” it says in the application.

In her speech, Baerbock advocated making far-reaching weapons systems available to Ukraine – but Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejects the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles. “We have to protect Ukraine because it is our peace in Europe.”