Katharina Schulze will in future be the sole leader of the Green Party in the Bavarian state parliament. Her previous co-boss Ludwig Hartmann is supposed to unexpectedly take over the office of Vice President of the State Parliament. The new Green parliamentary group decided this at its three-day founding meeting, as it announced on Tuesday. A press conference is scheduled for Wednesday. The 32 MPs (instead of the previous 36) had “set out with great mutual trust in the search for new solutions for the reorganization of the parliamentary group leadership,” it said.
The proposal for solo leadership instead of equal dual leadership – an unusual step for the Greens – came from Hartmann. As a member of the parliamentary presidium, he would have a primarily representative task in the future. He would also be responsible for chairing meetings and organizing the House. Thomas Gehring from the Allgäu region was most recently responsible for this task. He was one of the MPs who missed re-entry into the state parliament due to the election result of only 14.4 percent. Schulze’s deputy as parliamentary group leader will be Johannes Becher from the Freising district. Jürgen Mistol from Regensburg remains parliamentary manager.
The reason behind Schulze’s choice is probably that she is the best-known face of the Bavarian Greens – and should get the full spotlight to make a name for herself as a candidate for Prime Minister with a view to the state elections in five years. In the most recent election, however, the 38-year-old top candidate Schulze would not have been elected to the State Chancellery even if she were successful. The constitution requires a minimum age of 40 years.
Schulze announced on Tuesday: “I am ready to get involved and take on the responsibility and strategic leadership in the group that has been given to me.” Hartmann said: “We are redesigning the office of state parliament vice-president: as a force that focuses on reconciliation. As a force that gives social conflicts a forum and moderates them with care.” Because of his fame, including through his TV duels with Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), Hartmann could bring the Greens more attention for their role in the state parliament presidium.