For a few weeks the Greens were unrecognizable. The ranks seemed closed – although top candidate Cem Özdemir led the party in Baden-Württemberg with very independent tactics and thus strained the left wing. The first projection for the State election It hadn’t been public for long before the unity was over: the Green Youth shot poison arrows in the direction of Özdemir in the form of a list of demands.

Does this mean the battle for sovereignty over the interpretation of the election results has begun? And will the Greens dismantle themselves at the moment of one of their greatest successes?

Genuine joy about Özdemir’s victory – even among the left-wing Greens

On the Monday after the election, it is important for representatives from all party wings to emphasize that they are genuinely happy about the election victory. One even compares his emotions to entering the federal government at the turn of the millennium. The fact that we have to dig so deeply into history shows how thirsty the Greens have recently been for success.

Many members and officials see this as the reason for the extraordinary unity of the past few weeks. The decimated party urgently needed a sign of life, otherwise it would hardly have been able to present itself as a political voice with any weight.

Who is responsible for the victory in Baden-Württemberg?

So far the various election analyzes sound similar, but in everything else they differ considerably. For example, looking back, it’s about who is responsible for the election victory in Baden-Württemberg.

• The Realos believe that it was primarily Özdemir’s ultra-bourgeois demeanor.
• The party left complain that they played a large part in this because they remained silent despite the course.
• And the federal chairmen Franziska Brantner and Felix Banaszak assure that without the legroom guaranteed to Özdemir, the whole strategy would not have worked.

There is a kernel of truth in all three perspectives. If the respective actors recognized this, there would be no discussion at all. But it doesn’t stop there.

The left wing senses Brantner’s power maneuvers

Greens who are close to party leader Brantner were already spreading the word on Sunday evening that she would emerge stronger from the election as a Reala and Baden-Württemberg native. Brantner could use this story, as she was recently seen as pale and weak.

Left party members sense the power maneuver and immediately cast doubt on the narrative. Brantner wasn’t that active in the election campaign. After all, there were two weeks of Bundestag sessions right before the election, for which the chairwoman had to be in Berlin. It is also remarkable that Özdemir did not want to be seen with the chairmen on election day or on Monday. Therefore, instead of gaining power, some see a gradual loss of authority for Brantner.

Conflicting opinions on the Green Youth paper

The party left also reacts sensitively to shifts in position. The fact that Brantner, in one of her first reactions to the election results, claimed that elections were won with pragmatism was a declaration of war. It was also noted attentively that Brantner at “Caren Miosga” later said that Özdemir’s “smart economic policy” would be “promoted more strongly within the federal government” in the future.

Many in the party see the Green Youth’s list of demands as strategically unwise. But there are also some who put it into perspective based on Brantner’s appearance: If the party leader wants to set the tone, others should do the same. The contents of the paper were “harmless”.

If Palmer becomes minister, there is a risk of open rebellion among the Greens

In it, the Green Youth talks about Boris Palmer, among other things. The mayor of Tübingen left the party three years ago in a dispute, but supported Özdemir in the election campaign. That was an imposition for many on the left. Under no circumstances should Palmer play a larger role: “Neither ministerial office nor advisory role is an option for him,” writes the Green Youth.

This is where the clearest warnings can be heard: If Özdemir wants to involve his campaign assistant Palmer, the time for keeping quiet is finally over. Even returning to the party without a formal position could be an affront. Then there is a risk of an open rebellion by the party left against Özdemir.

Legroom for Özdemir, but also for the left-wing Berliners

A second warning relates to the upcoming election campaigns: The left-wing Berlin regional association must also have the legroom that Ultra-Realo Özdemir had in Baden-Württemberg when the election takes place there in the fall.

Some Greens fear that it could be the country’s likely future Prime Minister who will shoot the wrong way. This was often the case with the outgoing head of government, Winfried Kretschmann: he demanded maximum loyalty for his dark green course, but did not always show this towards others.

At least the party leaders are willing to continue to grant legroom. On the one hand, because it has proven successful for Baden-Württemberg. On the other hand, with the calculation that defeats can be more easily passed on to the respective regional association if you leave them responsible for the direction.

Everyone refers to the basic values: But who are the Greens?

Some Realos, on the other hand, see the time of legroom now at its end: “A left-wing course for the Berlin election would be strategically unwise,” claims one. “The Left Party is also very strong in the capital – the Greens should therefore orient themselves towards the center and woo people there who are disappointed with the CDU, FDP and SPD.”

There is also a larger consideration: “We Greens stand for the political center. We should not sacrifice this principle for a Berlin election campaign.” Party leftists also emphasize that the party’s basic values ​​should not be sacrificed – but by this they mean Özdemir’s likely upcoming government term.

This leaves one insight that should perhaps stand as a one before all zeros in further analyses: As long as the Greens disagree about who they want to be, every election carries the risk of tearing down the unity they have laboriously achieved.