Rising German Greens Leader on Climate Politics Going Mainstream
Annalena Baerbock, a possible contender to replace German Chancellor Angela Merkel, says the ruling coalition “hasn’t delivered” on climate
Annalena Baerbock
Photographer: Florian Gaertner/Photothek/Getty Images
As a young woman, Annalena Baerbock ditched an incipient career in journalism to join the German Greens party. Today, the 40-year-old is party co-chair and one of the country’s most influential politicians.
The decision by Chancellor Angela Merkel, the world’s longest-serving female head of state, not to run in the upcoming Sept. 26 elections leaves many options open. Baerbock could take her place if the Greens choose her over co-chair Robert Habeck in the spring, and if they secure a strong enough result in the polls. The Greens have a real shot at the country’s top job — they were briefly the country’s most-popular party before the coronavirus crisis, and have remained Germans’ second-favorite since.