What's next for the Green Youth - in terms of personnel and content? This question will be the focus of the national congress of the youth organization, which begins on Friday (17:30) in Leipzig. At the end of September, all ten board members announced that they would not be standing for re-election and would leave the party as a whole. They had justified this with too little left-wing profile and too many traffic light compromises.
Jette Nietzard and Jakob Blasel are running to succeed Svenja Appuhn and Katharina Stolla as chairwoman. The 25-year-old Nietzard emphasized that the Green Youth is facing a great opportunity. "The chance to evaluate ourselves without throwing away everything from the past." She is active in the Berlin Green Party, is committed to helping refugees and works for the German Children's Fund.
Blasel is active in the Fridays for Future climate movement. In his application, the 24-year-old emphasizes: "I understand the criticism of the traffic lights and the Greens from those who are leaving and expressly share it." However, he is staying with the Green Youth because there is no other place where so many young people are committed to left-wing politics.
Around 800 participants are expected to attend the three-day national congress. Further candidates may be put forward before the election of the new leadership duo on Saturday afternoon. In September, the Federal Executive Board led by Appuhn and Stolla announced its intention to found a "new, decidedly left-wing youth association". As a result, board members of numerous state associations of the Green Youth also announced their resignation.
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