Main content

Why Are Germans Going Green?

What's behind the unexpected rise of Germany's Green party?

Germany, the biggest and richest country in the European Union, is going through a period of considerable political turbulence. After Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, the CDU, performed badly in state elections, she said she would not seek re-election. Much has been said about the threat posed to her party from the right by the emergence of the Euro-sceptic anti-immigrant AfD. But there's another emerging force - the internationalist and environmentalist Greens. In the recent elections in both Bavaria and Hesse, the Greens came second with a big gain in seats - and polls now have the party polling in second place nationally. Paul Henley and a panel of experts discuss what's behind the rise of the Greens and what it means for the country at the heart of Europe.

Available now

53 minutes

Last on

Sat 10 Nov 2018 04:06GMT

Contributors:

Tarik Abou-Chadi - University of Zurich and Centre for Democracy Studies, Aarau

Thorsten Benner - director, Global Public Policy Institute, Berlin

Sven Giegold聽- Green MEP and spokesman for the Party in the European Parliament

Christine Landfried聽- Senior Fellow at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin

Also featuring:

Jens Zimmermann - Member of the Bundestag for the SPD

Photo

Members of Germany's Green Party celebrating by Alexandra Beier/Getty Images

Broadcasts

  • Fri 9 Nov 2018 09:06GMT
  • Sat 10 Nov 2018 00:06GMT
  • Sat 10 Nov 2018 04:06GMT

The Real Story Podcast

Subscribe via your favourite podcast app...

Podcast