During their party conference in Karlsruhe, the Greens decided on their European election program. However, the base did not want to include a quote from former Chancellor Konrad Adenauer there.
Following the elections of the federal board and the European election list, the Greens continued their party conference in Karlsruhe on Saturday with discussions on the European election program. At the beginning, the federal board had to accept a substantial defeat.
Adenauer’s quote causes trouble at the Green base
In the draft of the program, the Green leadership also included a quote from the first Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Konrad Adenauer. The CDU politician had said about 70 years ago: “This unity of Europe was a dream of a few. It became a hope for many. Today, it is a necessity for us all.”
However, the passage had caused great anger among the Green base. Several motions had demanded that the quote be removed. They did not want the only quote in the more than 100-page program to be granted to a conservative. The majority of the delegates supported a corresponding motion.
“Adenauer was problematic in his time and until today”
Prior to this, the applicant Shirin Kreße from the Berlin-Mitte district emphasized in her speech that Adenauer had been too sexist even for CDU women at his time. “Adenauer was problematic in his time and continues to be problematic until today.” He had long refused to appoint a woman as a minister because he thought women were too soft.
Kreße also criticized Adenauer’s handling of former NS cadres: “Adenauer bears the responsibility for the reintegration of NSDAP leaders into the highest state offices.” Additionally, Adenauer had commissioned the espionage of social democratic politicians, including Willy Brandt, for years.
“A quote cannot be viewed and interpreted independently of the person,” Kreße further elaborated. Her vision of Europe is feminist, anti-fascist, and is not called Konrad Adenauer.
Roth attempts to uphold the position of the board
Subsequently, the Secretary for Cultural Affairs, and member of the left wing, Claudia Roth, tried to strengthen the position of the federal board again. “Yes, Adenauer was certainly not a feminist,” Roth said. However, the quote is about the beginning of the European idea.
“He sought to reach out to France. He sought to contribute to reconciliation,” Roth emphasized in her rebuttal. This sentence by Adenauer was the beginning of a deep friendship with the neighboring country.
The word “prosperity” remains in the program
The federal board proposed to supplement the election program with quotes from two women. However, the Green base did not follow either this proposal or Claudia Roth’s argumentation. On the other hand, the term “prosperity,” which some of the base wanted to remove, remains in the program. Negotiations on the program will continue until Sunday. A heated debate on the course of migration policy is expected on Saturday evening.
By Felix Hackenbruch
