The Greens have vowed to turn Germany into a “socio-ecological economy”

The German Green Party approved an election manifesto on Sunday that would transform the country’s economy and move to carbon neutrality by 2035.

Committed to turning Germany into a “socio-ecological market economy,” Annalena Baerbock, the party’s chancellor candidate, has proposed a “pact with German industry” this weekend. He said the companies that became climate neutral and located production would receive compensation from the state.

“For those who endanger the abundance of climate protection, I would like to say: Yes, in the past our prosperity was based on burning coal, oil and gas. But the twentieth century is over,” Baerbock said. “The markets of the future will be climate neutral. . . It doesn’t matter if that happens, who will do the best. And I want us to be at the forefront. ”

He and his party have been closely scrutinized ahead of the September parliamentary elections. This will mark the end of Angela Merkel’s 16 years as chancellor, as well as the fact that the ecological party is the first candidate for the main German job.

The Greens became famous after Baerbock designation but opponents have argued that climate plans would cost more in terms of people, fuel and flights.

Future markets will be climate neutral. . . It doesn’t matter if that happens, who will do the best

After heavy attacks by Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats and center-left Social Democrats, the Greens took sixth place in a state elections last weekend. They have fallen to 22% a year polling stations, CDU again at the top, with 28 percent.

Baerbock, meanwhile, has been plunged into a wave criticism delaying the reporting of extra income and decorating his resume.

The CDU and SPD, Germany’s long-standing main party and wary of the green rise, have attacked a projected carbon tax of 60 euros per tonne, arguing that it has placed a heavy burden on citizens with lower incomes. The green leaders have tried to get their message across that it will cost the citizens a few cents more than the current government plans.

At this weekend’s conference, delegates gave a lot of support to Baerbock, even though his younger left-wing bases said the management plan was too moderate. Delegates rejected a proposal to raise carbon prices further, and backed a spending plan of 500 billion euros over the next ten years, based on a green proposal to ease Germany’s debt brake.

Changing the debt law, enshrined in the constitution, requires the support of two-thirds of parliament, which is doubtful that the Greens can ensure. But the party is keen to shake up its image Prohibition Party (aspect of prohibitions) and represents itself as an agent of innovation and social justice.

This has done little to change the tone of the attacks. On Friday, a lobby group called the Social Economy New Market Economy advertisements in almost every major paper, wearing a green Baerbock dress like Moses, he ordered two stone tablets with ten “new” commandments in his hand, including bans on flying and fossil fuel vehicles.

In promoting his economic plan, Baerbock explicitly referred to US President Joe Biden’s $ 1.9 million infrastructure plan and called for a “transatlantic alliance for climate neutrality”.

He also had harsh words for European and German foreign policy, criticizing the EU’s satisfaction with the Chinese purchase of European infrastructure, and reaffirmed its refusal to support the Berlin Nord Stream 2 pipeline. “Europe has sold itself short. However, we are the largest economic community in the world, “he said.” We have everything we need to set our own standards… If we do not become independent, others will decide for us. “

While pushing harder lines in China and Russia may be music for many ears in Washington, the Greens also vowed to re-negotiate Germany’s commitment to NATO to spend 2% of its budget on defense, which is likely to be unusual for the Biden administration.

Stefan Müller, the parliamentary director of the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, the CSU, skewed the new platform because it was “an old left-wing mix of redistribution, comprehensive state control and knowledge of moralizing moralism.”

Achim Post, deputy head of the SPD parliamentary group, said it was a “problem of fiscal policy”, arguing that it was “a principle of hope instead of realism”.

Baerbock, who smiled after 98 percent of the delegates voted on the platform, admitted the difficulties he faced. “That was the easy part,” he said. “Now the real campaign begins.”