For the first time since her resignation, Emily Büning is speaking publicly about the problems with the Greens. The party’s political director in an interview.
After the Brandenburg election, the entire federal executive board of the Greens resigned. In addition to the two party leaders Omid Nouripour and Ricarda Lang, there is also Emily Büning, the political director of the Greens. As such, she acts as a kind of manager for the party. Among other things, she was responsible for several election campaigns – and was therefore criticized within the party due to the poor election results.
Now Büning is publicly commenting on her resignation for the first time. In an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA She talks about the decision to resign, the difficult relationship at the traffic lights – and about Robert Habeck.
Ms. Büning, when Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour announced the resignation of the Federal Executive Board on Wednesday, you were in the USA. Local time: 4:30 a.m. Did you watch the press conference?
There was no time for that at all. As the Federal Executive Board, we made the decision to resign in our meeting at 7 a.m. There was a lot to do after that.
Does that mean your future wasn’t decided over your head?
No. We were in intensive discussions about what we as the Federal Executive Board can do after the lost elections and in view of the challenging situation for our party and also in the country, also with a view to the next federal election. Together we came to the decision that resignation was right for us as a party and that we would make a new formation possible.
Have you also spoken to Annalena Baerbock or Robert Habeck?
Of course, the two were informed in advance about the resignation.
Greens now fully aligned with Habeck? “Even if we hadn’t resigned”
It is said that Robert Habeck was involved in the resignation. Is that correct?
We made this decision as a board. This came as a surprise to very, very many in the party on Wednesday.
Can you say that the federal party now more tailored to Robert Habeck is? Just with a view to the designated new party leader Franziska Brantner, his confidante from the ministry.
The new federal executive board will be a strong team that will lead this party. Robert Habeck will play a central role for our party next year, but he would have played that role if we hadn’t resigned.
He should become the face of the federal election campaign. The Greens are below ten percent in surveys for the first time in seven years. Do we even need a candidate for chancellor?
The party conference will decide on this. I believe that we as the Greens can make a good and important offer for the federal election. Four years ago we saw at the SPD that there was also skepticism there at the beginning. A lot can still change before the federal election.
The SPD was also able to catch up thanks to the weak performance of Armin Laschet and Annalena Baerbock. So are you relying on competitors’ mistakes?
We rely on our own strengths and enter the debates with a breath of fresh air. I am convinced that we can win back voters and have great potential. Now is the time to take advantage of it. There is still plenty of room between Friedrich Merz and Olaf Scholz for a modern, communicative candidate.
Greens in poll low: “The style of the traffic lights affects us”
Robert Habeck said in a current ARD documentary that the Green Party ministers were more responsible for the poor survey results than the federal executive board. Didn’t the wrong people resign?
The party executive committee is responsible for election results. We therefore believe it is right to place the party leadership in new hands. But of course the style of the traffic light also affects us. There needs to be clarity about what we Greens stand for. That got lost in some negotiations and compromises.
What should the Greens stand for?
In the end, of course, the new party leadership has to show the way. Our core issue remains climate protection. We are seeing the effects of the climate crisis more and more often, for example in floods or heat. We have not always managed to understand how socially fair climate protection works. In general, we need to give people better answers to social problems and concerns, such as increased prices or high rents. Many of our goals find support in society. But in some places we made mistakes and overwhelmed people. We were not clear enough in communication and too often made compromises based on the lowest common denominator in the coalition.
Does that mean you should be more like the FDP – and rigorously push through your positions?
The FDP can’t get through that much in this way. And I doubt whether this riotous style actually helps the FDP.
Speaking of the FDP: Christian Lindner speaks of an “autumn of decisions”, Wolfgang Kubicki of the end of the traffic lights until Christmas. Does the government hold?
The fact that Mr. Kubicki talks about the end of the traffic light is nothing new. I still believe that there will still be tough negotiations, especially in the budget. As Greens, we will weigh up very carefully which decisions we support – and which we don’t.
That doesn’t sound very convincing…
We were elected for four years and we take responsibility for that. With a view to our country and the gigantic investment needs, in our view responsibility means reforming the debt brake. But that will no longer be possible in this coalition. Next year, voters will have to evaluate that too.
What’s next for you personally? You have never sat in a parliament. Are there any considerations about running?
I will not run for the Bundestag. I will now prepare the party conference, which is always the highlight of the year for me. After that I’m looking forward to some time with my family and then we’ll see what happens next.
Interview: Andreas Schmid
#people #surprised