The Green Party in Germany is grappling with a significant crisis, marked by a wave of resignations and internal turmoil. The latest setback comes from Canan Bayram, a directly-elected MP from Berlin, who not only stepped down but also launched scathing accusations against her own party. Bayram, of Turkish descent, expressed deep disillusionment in an open letter, questioning what the party truly represents and alleging a hostile climate where discrimination and fear have taken root. Her resignation adds to a growing list of party officials stepping down after the recent elections, highlighting a rift within a party that once prided itself on its commitment to diversity and open-border policies. This article examines the implications of Bayram's departure, the growing dissent within the party, and the potential fallout as the Greens navigate a precarious political landscape.
The Green Party, following its disintegrating standing in the polls, has seen a wave of major resignations, with the latest blow coming with the withdrawal of the directly-elected Berlin MP Canan Bayram. She not only resigned but launched attacks against the party, including accusations of racism against a party that prides itself on its open borders policies and commitment to diversity.
The 58-year-old MP, who is of Turkish descent, stated in an open letter to voters in her district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg that “it is becoming increasingly unclear to me what the Alliance 90/The Greens party actually stands for, and to that extent, I can no longer explain to people what we stand for or whether they can trust us.” She also stated that “discrimination-free work” is no longer possible in the party.
The next day, she spoke to Tagesspiegel, saying: “There is a climate of fear internally,” and some members dare not express their opinion. She added that it was “no longer grassroots Democratic.” She also attacked the party agenda, as represented by Economic Minister Robert Habeck.
Bayram stated that the party is making compromises and even embracing the positions put forward by right-wing populists regarding migration policy. She urged that Greens need to stick to their policies on immigration, which have been mostly characterized as a dedication to open borders, a policy broadly rejected by the majority of Germans in polling. She stated that she is against any form of deportation, even for criminal foreigners, which would include foreigners who gang-raped women, murdered small children, and committed terror attacks.
The accusations made by Bayram come after the Green federal executive committee, Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour, both resigned from their leadership positions following elections in Brandenburg. Afterward, the party was hit with resignations from the federal executive committee of the Green Youth, along with many state executive committees. However, Bayram has left the party entirely. There are now signs that the party is in deep chaos, with the accusations of racism from Bayram only expected to add to the party’s disintegration.
Not all Green Party MPs in Berlin are on board with Bayram’s accusation. Five from the Greens’ left wing wrote that “Canan Bayram has not been active in green-left circles in Berlin for some time.”
Kübra Beydaş, a member of Bayram’s district board, also rejected the claims of racism, telling Tagesspiegel: “As a woman who is perceived as a migrant and has experienced racism, I cannot support her statements,” She noted that the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is one of the first district associations with a “diversity quota” and a “firmly anchored diversity team.”
Bayram responded, saying that despite “racist incidents” in the district association, there have been no efforts against it.
“Instead of making representation and protection from discrimination a common task for everyone, these tasks are being outsourced to those affected themselves,” she said.
