The Greens in the state parliament want to regain trust through greater visibility in the country. “Out, out, out into the area” was the motto of parliamentary group leader Katharina Schulze on Friday at the end of the green winter retreat. All MPs, including herself, are planning tours throughout the country during non-sessional weeks as well as “formats where you can experience politics, especially in heated times.” It is important to “be approachable” and to speak and “wrestle” with citizens about issues as multipliers for green content. Don’t shy away from debate. Schulze admitted that there had been some “alienation” during the election campaign. The group also wants to become more effective on social networks.
On Thursday, the first day of the meeting, the MPs discussed their strategic positioning for the legislative period. In the state election, the Greens achieved 14.4 percent, minus 3.2 percentage points. In Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate, they remained in the single digits across the district, but in Upper Bavaria the party also lost representatives away from the Munich bastion, and entire areas of the country are now without direct Green representation. Addressing people and communication will also be the focus of the party conference in Lindau in just over a week, where there will be candidacies for the state chairmanships.
An important point for the work in the state parliament should be the sustainable energy and heat supply, which the Greens found out about on Friday at a geothermal plant in Pullach near Munich and at Linde Engineering. “We want Pullach to set a precedent,” said Schulze. However, the state government is not doing enough when it comes to geothermal energy – the “heat treasure beneath our feet”. But only with a sustainable energy policy can the Free State remain a strong business location. The Greens are calling for better funding for municipalities and default guarantees.