Cem Özdemir (Greens) has clearly distanced himself from the policies of the federal government following his election as Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg. In an interview with ZDF heute journal, he stated that the green-black coalition aims to operate differently not only in content but also in style. “We are not here to seek minimal consensus, and above all, we want to distinguish ourselves from Berlin not just in content but also in style,” Özdemir said.
Özdemir received 93 votes in favor during his election, while 26 representatives voted against him, and there were four abstentions. The green-black coalition holds a total of 112 votes in the parliament, meaning at least 19 representatives from the CDU and Greens did not support him. Özdemir downplayed the opposing votes, emphasizing that there have been past elections where the candidate was not elected in the first round.
He also addressed the tensions that arose between the parties during the campaign, pointing out that there is no purpose in speculating about the reasons for the opposing votes. Özdemir stressed that the coalition aims to find internal solutions before going public.
