MNI INTERVIEW: German Greens See Climate Right For Power Share

Recent catastrophic floods in Germany, along with wildfires in Mediterranean countries and Monday's stark report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, are boosting the Greens' prospects by pushing climate change to the top of the German Sept. 26 general election agenda, party spokesman Sven Giegold told MNI.

Giegold, who hopes the Greens can build from around 20% currently showing in the polls, which he notes is already double the 2017 general election performance, points out that postal voting for the election will start in a few days with the recent climate-related events fresh in voters' minds.

"It's a big factor, with around a third of votes cast as postal votes," he says. He believes the polls are showing "many citizens will vote climate this time" as "we are not seen any more as adversaries of the market - in Germany we are seen as an innovator."

JUMPING THE GUN

Giegold, an MEP and spokesperson for the Green bloc in the EP for economic and financial affairs, would not get drawn into a discussion around what ministries the Greens would claim in any future coalition, with the incumbent CDU lead in the polls slipping in the wake of the floods and their SPD coalition so far benefitting more than the Greens. He slammed the centre-right FDP, who have picked up to show around 12% in the polls, for recently demanding the Finance Ministry.

"The (centre-right FDP) Liberals have just said in public they want the Finance Ministry, which is funny because that is not how it works," he says. "The biggest party normally gets the Chancellor, the second biggest has the first pick (of the rest). Saying you want to have a certain ministry is a disrespect to the voters. Greens are more old-fashioned when it comes to ethics. You don't do that."

STILL NO TO NORDSTREAM 2

Giegold also made clear that the controversy over Nordstream 2 will not go away if they secure a share of power. Despite the fact the U.S. Biden administration has dropped its objections to the project, Giegold insists there remains no rationale for a new pipeline.

"Our position is clear. We are against the pipeline, and I still don't understand who would use the gas coming from that. We don't need it. We have enough gas capacity operating. We have to reduce gas over the years to come, and the longer we wait the faster we have to reduce (it). This is a silly position," he declares.

EU tensions with Belarus add to the case for not going ahead with the pipeline, he continues. "We have Belarus, with the help presumably of Russia, destabilising Lithuania and Poland, and the only thing we are doing as a thank you is to open that pipeline?! Are you kidding me?"

JABS THE ANSWER

Giegold indicates that the Greens will push hard for vaccinations to be increased because that will be key to avoiding further lockdowns. "The main point in Germany is that too many people are not vaccinated and too many refuse," he says.

"That is the key thing as we have to do whatever we can to avoid another lockdown and for that the vax rate has to go up," he adds. "The current government has not done enough…measures have to be much more aggressive".