NRW Green Party concentrates on residential policy during local election initiatives - "Local election campaign for NRW Greens will emphasize housing policy"
In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the Green Party is focusing its campaign for the upcoming municipal election on the hot-button issue of affordable housing. At a state party conference over the weekend, 280 delegates endorsed a resolution advocating for strengthened municipal housing associations, stricter regulations on short-term rentals via platforms in tight housing markets, and increased support for affordable serial construction.
"Soaring rents have become one of the most pressing social concerns of our time," asserted State Party Chair Yazgülü Zeybek. While numerous vacant apartments coexist with apartments being rented out short-term to tourists via platforms like Airbnb, many families struggle to find affordable urban accommodations. "We can't simply turn a blind eye to this," Zeybek stressed.
Felix Banaszak, leader of the federal Greens, underlined the importance of the NRW municipal election on September 14. A successful outcome could serve as an essential signal for successful state and local elections next year, he suggested. Despite the recent headwinds facing the Greens nationwide, Banaszak expressed confidence in the party's ability to rebound from low points in its history.
The Green Party has experienced both ups and downs in recent elections. In the federal elections in February, they earned 11.6% of the nationwide vote, dropping to fourth place in NRW with 12.4%. However, in 2020, the Greens achieved their best result in an NRW municipal election to date, winning the majority in Cologne and securing second place in Düsseldorf. In three cities—Aachen, Bonn, and Wuppertal—the party also won mayoral posts for the first time. Since 2022, the Greens have been coalition partners with the CDU in the state government.
Katharina Droge, head of the federal parliamentary faction of the Greens, criticized the new federal government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) in her speech at the party conference. She highlighted what she viewed as serious errors in the negotiations on the debt brake, although she conceded that the Greens had helped put Merz in power due to the substance of the debt brake relaxation and a 500 billion euro special fund for investments.
The party conference also called for initiating a ban procedure against the AfD, where only one delegate abstained. State Party Leader Tim Achtermeyer emphasized the role of politics in initiating the application, describing the move as a testament to "constitutional patriotism." Bonn's Green Mayor, Katja Dörner, warned that the AfD aims to erode democracy from within, and stated that the party would not tolerate this.
- The Green Party, in light of the ongoing struggle of families for affordable urban accommodations, has prioritized strengthening municipal housing associations as part of their employment policy in the upcoming municipal election in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).
- As the election draws near, lifestyle issues such as affordable housing are being highlighted alongside other concerns, like politics and education-and-self-development, demonstrating the party's commitment to a holistic approach to governance.
- Furthermore, the Green Party has shown an interest in home-and-garden policies, hinting towards a potential focus on sustainable urban development and promoting eco-friendly lifestyles in their future employment policy.
