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2w ago

Cem Özdemir Confirmed as Green Party's Lead Candidate for Baden-Württemberg Election

Özdemir secures overwhelming party support as he seeks to succeed Winfried Kretschmann, but faces a challenging path with the Greens trailing the CDU in polls.

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Cem Özdemir steht in einem Fanfarenzug und trommelt

Overview

  • Cem Özdemir was officially endorsed as the Green Party's Spitzenkandidat for the 2026 Baden-Württemberg state election, receiving 97% of delegate votes at the Heidenheim party congress.
  • The March 2026 election marks a leadership transition as Özdemir aims to follow Winfried Kretschmann, who is stepping down after 15 years as Minister-President.
  • Recent polls place the Greens at 20–22%, behind the CDU at 31%, with the AfD close at 19%, highlighting a competitive electoral landscape.
  • Under a newly introduced dual-vote system, voters will cast ballots for both constituency candidates and party lists, with gender parity mandated for list rankings.
  • Despite the Greens' polling struggles, Özdemir's personal favorability remains high, with 39% of respondents favoring him directly as Minister-President, compared to 18% for CDU's Manuel Hagel.