In the current crisis, he “can’t understand some of the decisions made by the Greens on questions of energy supply and food security”. Nevertheless, he considers the hurdles between the CDU and the Greens to be “surmountable”.

Lower Saxony is currently governed by a grand coalition led by Prime Minister Stephan Weil’s SPD. In the current polls, the SPD is 31 to 32 percent, the CDU 27 to 30 percent. The Greens, who are seen in the election polls at 16 to 19 percent and could therefore take third place unchallenged, are presenting themselves as stronger. That would also be her best result so far in a state election in Lower Saxony.

Red-Green is the declared wish of incumbent Weil, who ruled together with the Greens in Hanover from 2013 to 2017. After that, the SPD had to enter into an alliance with the CDU because it was not enough for an alliance with the Greens five years ago.