"When it gets concrete, it gets thin": Özdemir strikes back at Hagel - Germany's Green Party slams CDU over bureaucratic failures ahead of election
With less than 20 days until the state election in southwestern Germany, the Green Party has sharpened its rhetoric on the campaign trail.
The campaign for the regional parliament had so far been relatively calm and low-conflict, but two and a half weeks before the vote, Green Party lead candidate Cem Özdemir has noticeably intensified his criticism of his CDU rival, Manuel Hagel. Speaking at the Greens' political Ash Wednesday event in Biberach, Özdemir accused Hagel of "flip-flopping on key issues."
The CDU's top candidate had previously called for eliminating two levels of administration, Özdemir said, but never specified which ones—and the demand no longer appears in the party's election platform. "Big promises, but when it comes to specifics, they fall flat," he remarked.
Özdemir also criticized the CDU's performance in the state government, particularly on digitalizing public administration, where he said much work remains. Businesswomen often have to submit applications multiple times because agencies fail to coordinate, while tradespeople face long waits for building permits. "The Interior and Economic Ministries were in the hands of our CDU coalition partners for ten years—ten years," he emphasized. "Far more should have been achieved in that time."
Özdemir mockingly suggested that Hagel's recent trip to Athens to study digitalization proved his point. While he generally approved of politicians traveling to learn from better systems, he quipped, "Maybe they should have started learning sooner."
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