Özdemir faces a big challenge: top candidate for the Greens!

Özdemir faces a big challenge: top candidate for the Greens!

On Saturday, May 23, 2025, Cem Özdemir will be officially elected in Heidenheim as the top candidate of the Baden-Württemberg Green Party for the 2026 state elections. The party conference begins at 10:00 a.m. and Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann will also be present to give a speech and determine the ranking of the state list. Kretschmann is no longer running after three successful terms in office, so Özdemir is considered his successor.

The Baden-Württemberg Greens are currently under pressure. According to current polls, the Greens are at 22 percent, while the CDU is leading with 31 percent. The AfD got 19 percent, which makes it clear that Özdemir finds himself in a challenging starting position. To combat this, he plans to travel the country and collect voter feedback to strengthen the party. He is seen as the ideal candidate to succeed Kretschmann, but there are concerns among the Greens about whether he can win votes beyond the core Green clientele. Özdemir himself recognizes that he has no support from a large apparatus because he has no further titles to show for after leaving his position as federal minister.

Competition and expectations

In the election campaign, Özdemir will face Manuel Hagel from the CDU, who was elected as his top candidate last weekend. In addition to the political competition, the party conference in Heidenheim will also be overshadowed by the DFB Cup final, which is taking place at the same time in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. Özdemir, a loyal fan of VfB Stuttgart, will only have the opportunity to watch the game on a large screen sporadically.

Current polls show that in a hypothetical direct election, Özdemir would receive 39 percent of the vote, while Hubel from the CDU would only get 18 percent. This demonstrates his high level of awareness and the general support of 89 percent among Green supporters, which contrasts sharply with the only 41 percent of Hagel supporters. Despite this positive response, there are personal voices, like that of Eugen Schlachter, who doubt Özdemir's suitability as a top candidate.

Future challenges

The Green Youth has clear expectations of Özdemir, especially with regard to the issues of climate protection and social security. These challenges reflect the Greens' fundamental values ​​and are crucial to the top candidate's electoral chances. A new change in electoral law that introduces a second vote for a party's state list could have additional influence on voters' decisions.

Overall, the election in 2026 is of great importance for shaping the political landscape in Baden-Württemberg. With Cem Özdemir at the helm, the Greens hope to regain strength and remain the leading governing party. Whether this will be successful remains to be seen, but it is clear that the path to get there will by no means be easy. While the Greens are currently heavily behind the CDU in polls, there are more optimistic views about Özdemir's personal popularity.

It is clear to everyone involved that the coming months will be crucial in both mobilizing voters and convincing them of the Greens' core concerns.