On my way to @Die_Gruenen-#BDK18! I'll be sharing impressions so mute me now. It sure has a very democratic feel when most of party leadership ends up hanging out on a train platform in Bitterfeld due to changed train schedules. 
#BDK18-rush-hour.
Orga-info:
In related news:
"Richtung Europa? Da lang!"
At least the direction is clear.
At least the direction is clear.
...that's for later though. Right now I'm getting ready for a second lunch, consisting of a typical Rosinenschnecke the size of my head.
Ultra-high-tech #BDK18 access badge secured. The Leipzig Messe congress center in the background.
Finally arrived at the #BDK18. Presidency elected without counterproposals. Whew! 😀
The huge meeting hall of the #BDK18 with hundreds of delegates is impressive enough. But what blows my mind really is the exhibition space with everyone from public waterworks to labour unions to the packaging industry. It's spacious and almost empty despite Free Goodies...
...except of this bank booth. Always crowded, always popular, always a reliable source for a bit of banter and a steady flow of "free" (sponsored) caffè latte throughout the meetings.
Let's bring this to our meetings, @vihreat! 😀
Let's bring this to our meetings, @vihreat! 😀
Great intro speech by @ABaerbock, on current situation in Germany, @Die_Gruenen, Leipzig, fall of the wall...
And @ABaerbock pulls down the first massive standing ovations!
Annalena is one of the two @Die_Gruenen-spokespersons. @RobertHabeck is the other, here interviewing @igorpianist who speaks on solidarity and being a Russian-background immigrant Jew in a Germany with Seehofer as minister of the interior. Honest, harsh words.
Earlier @igorpianist introed by playing the Ode to Joy. Programme goes on, other than the piano you could hear a pin drop.
Left the hall as programme debate at #BDK18 started, to deal with bodily needs. This is the pizza queue.
#frauenpower at #BDK18:
The glorious @anna_cavazzini presents compromises on the Europe-programme to the delegates.
She's also a candidate for the list that will be voted on tomorrow!
The glorious @anna_cavazzini presents compromises on the Europe-programme to the delegates.
She's also a candidate for the list that will be voted on tomorrow!
Always exciting: financial report! 65 thousand members, 11 % of them new, increasing proportion are women, average age lower than before, and party finances are on the plus. Nice!
Main cultural difference you forget and then remember when you're at a BDK: the way EVERYONE seems to be holding a beer after a certain point in the evening. I love it. Now where do I get my own?
Success! And now to the thing I find the coolest and most alien: #BDK18 goes into recess, and the party fractions/caucuses ("Linke", "Realos" and whatever else exists on the fringes) go into their own meetings! I think I'm off to the Linkentreffen!
So the Realos of course have re-branded as "Reformer*innen". Let's see how long that lasts...
(This place is quite impressive!) #BDK18
Busted! 😀
(Sorry, I love Realos, as is natural for a Finnish Green!)
(Sorry, I love Realos, as is natural for a Finnish Green!)
Here we go!
Tomorrow will be insane and insanely exciting. So many good candidates, and such a funny system to pick them. The basics:
The list is numbered (2014 place 12 was enough to be an MEP), each place is opened, voted on in max 3 rounds until someone is picked, and then the next opened
The list is numbered (2014 place 12 was enough to be an MEP), each place is opened, voted on in max 3 rounds until someone is picked, and then the next opened
Odd-numbered places (1, 3, 5...) are reserved for women, even places (2, 4, 6...) are "open", anyone can candidate for them, though I've never seen anyone who's not a man candidate for them. This is a guarantee for a majority of women (or parity if all open seats go to men).
This has huge consequences, since candidates who have not been picked for earlier places on the list can renew their candidacies on later places. Which makes for a cascading effect that is quite difficult to plan for, and leads to on-the-fly-negotiations, difficult choices etc.
Good morning, here we go!
To re-cap: I'll be live-tweeting the German Greens party conference (#BDK18) over the next two days. If this gets on your nerves you better mute this...
Today is the big day of making The List! At least the 4 first seats are usually divvied up between the party wings. Let's see!
Today is the big day of making The List! At least the 4 first seats are usually divvied up between the party wings. Let's see!
There, shining on the horizon: #BDK18
Shout-out to the very friendly security, ran by butch and/or tattooed women. ❤️
Europe-programme has been negotiated (through the night?). @TerryReintke and @KonstantinNotz present the compromises taken in the Antragskomission ("commission on amendments"), as well as what will be voted on.
"We read it one more time last night and it reads well!"
*laughter*
"We read it one more time last night and it reads well!"
*laughter*
Here are Terry and Konstantin. Red dresses are A Thing. I'm sure you can read something into it.
Ran into Jenny and Benjamin! All awake, thanks to "free" bank-coffee!
First vote on programme gets kicked out without much drama. Topic: European citizens' initiative.
(Also in pic: red dress! Told you it's a thing!)
(Also in pic: red dress! Told you it's a thing!)
Next amendment: to include the demand that EP election voting material indicate not just the national party but also the parties' European affiliation. So for CDU to also list EPP. Quite a tactical demand for a political programme?
Now the big amendment debate: there is a proposal to change Green European refugee policy to accept reception camps on EU exterior borders. 😮
VERY clear result: amendment massively REJECTED.
Paper accepted with massive majority as well. And now a guest speech by Siona Cahill, one of the leaders of the battle for reproductive rights in Ireland. She's also chair of the students' union, and fierce!
Siona (@AnTaobhRua) coming to a close: "'Repeal the 8th' -campaign was a continuation on the radical notion that women are people." And a call for recognising the spaces where they can represent us. "Keep resisting, keep defying. Don't be apologetic."
Props to live-translation!
Props to live-translation!
This was a great speech of how Ireland was changed. Standing ovation. Next up: making The List. I feel a certain nervous energy spreading in the hall. Or maybe that's just too much coffee?
Explanation of how the tele-voting system works. Veeery pedagogic. "If you still have a problem, hold the device up and assistants will come to help you!"
First test vote is some weird inside joke. Please someone at #BDK18 explain? ANYWAY, there are people who have problems with the voting machines. Every delegate has a personal card that can be plugged into any voting device. Can be a bit tricky, I guess?
"Why was Carl the Beetle not asked?
1) Abstention
2) No
3) Because Armin Laschet chased him
4) Because power company RWE does not negotiate with activists
5) Because beetles can't talk"
4 wins, but without absolute majority, so would go into second round!
1) Abstention
2) No
3) Because Armin Laschet chased him
4) Because power company RWE does not negotiate with activists
5) Because beetles can't talk"
4 wins, but without absolute majority, so would go into second round!
First candidates will get 10 min presentation time. Plus 4(?) minutes of answers to randomly drawn questions. Later candidates get less time. Here we go. @SkaKeller is a candidate. A question to the hall: "Are there other candidates?"
No-one. Ska starts her speech. "We've rocked the republic in recent times!" Thanking lots of people: board, colleagues.
"I was born in the DDR, where the result to every election was clear beforehand."
"Europe is a place for that no-one should have to run from nazis."
"In 3 weeks, at the climate-top-meeting, Europe must be the driving force."
"We need binding social regulations in the EU."
"We are the parliamentary wing of democrats in Chemnitz, feminists in Warsaw"
@SkaKeller
"In 3 weeks, at the climate-top-meeting, Europe must be the driving force."
"We need binding social regulations in the EU."
"We are the parliamentary wing of democrats in Chemnitz, feminists in Warsaw"
@SkaKeller
That was high-energy.
Lots of applause. Tele-voting now.
So this is the vote for place 1 on the #EP2019 list of @Die_Gruenen. Traditionally known as "Spitzenkandidatin".
@SkaKeller is ALSO candidate for Spitzenkandidatin of the @europeangreens, but that will be decided in 2 weeks at THEIR congress in Berlin.
87.57 % support. Quite good!
7.57 % "no" and the rest abstentions. This goes so quickly with electronic voting! Ska accepts the vote. @sven_giegold is a known candidate for place 2 (first "open" place, place 1 was reserved for women). No challengers to Sven.
Sven leads with a praise to the European Parliament. "Increased power, and we are dragged out from our offices"
"Germany is the greatest winner of the unification of Europe, we must not forget that"
"Germany is the greatest winner of the unification of Europe, we must not forget that"
"Europe means solidarity, Europe means strength through unity, not division"
"But we don't want to continue with the same Europe. 5 strengths:
Environmental legislation, good in Poland, good here!
Agrarian politics must change to benefit biodiversity.
Climate: leaders globally
"But we don't want to continue with the same Europe. 5 strengths:
Environmental legislation, good in Poland, good here!
Agrarian politics must change to benefit biodiversity.
Climate: leaders globally
Climate: but an embarrassment at home! We risk being too late with our goals, let's make this to a climate election!
Social: Europe has helped given minorities and women chances. But we want more! Minimum wage, social standards...
Tax avoidance: EU has done much but not enough
Social: Europe has helped given minorities and women chances. But we want more! Minimum wage, social standards...
Tax avoidance: EU has done much but not enough
Still @sven_giegold:
Chemicals directive is strictest in the world. Tells story of his son who's teeth suffer, according to experts due to chemical pollution. ❤️
Chemicals directive is strictest in the world. Tells story of his son who's teeth suffer, according to experts due to chemical pollution. ❤️
Europe is strong, but needs defence. Let's not call for a new start, but for strong improvement and a social Europe, stop blocking brave proposals from France. Asks for 5 more years.
Note: both @SkaKeller and @sven_giegold are from left (Linke) of the party. Traditionally the 4 first places have been balanced between Linke and Realos.
But right now the two party chairs, @ABaerbock and @RobertHabeck, are (centrist) Realos.
Traditional balances have changed.
But right now the two party chairs, @ABaerbock and @RobertHabeck, are (centrist) Realos.
Traditional balances have changed.
Aaand voting on @sven_giegold. People are asked to sit down so presidency can see if people have problems with the electronic voting.
Vote closed. Sven elected with 97.88 %. That's pretty unanimous!
Funky music, EU-flag, Spitzenduo, applause!
Best kind of collusion and outside influence on politics:
I agree with Ross: @TerryReintke is great!
Good agenda choice from presidency: after first two list choices and votes, programme work and debate continues. Now on chapter 5 of programme, with digital rights, education etc. New voices can speak, room can relax and listen.
Another smart choice at #BDK18 (and every BDK): questions and requests for debate are written on paper slips with name of the people requesting and drawn randomly.
The trick: there's two boxes, one for women, one for other.
The second trick: if one box is empty, debate is over.
The trick: there's two boxes, one for women, one for other.
The second trick: if one box is empty, debate is over.
That just happened. Loads of men would have loved to keep talking digitalisatiin. But they hadn't convinced any woman to throw her name in the women's box? Tough luck: debate over. 😂
Less #Mansplaining at #BDK18.
Less #Mansplaining at #BDK18.
I really love this structure to manage debates. Usually when women as a collective go "this debate is over" there's still loads of men who would love to hear their own voices. Like this: more to-the-point debates, AND more diverse debates. ❤️
More European collusion of the highest quality! Also @michabl is a great candidate, with huge European support from all over!
Next year there's not just the #EP2019, but also three state elections in Germany, all in the East, where the Greens have a difficult time. In #Sachsen, #Brandenburg and #Thüringen. Main topic will have to be right-wing populism, anti-racism. #DerAndereOsten is the common slogan.
On the stage: the delegations from those three states. Local party leaders make short statements, call out incredibly high election targets ("10 %") and the music is a bit harsher as party secretary @MiKellner tells of the challenges that await, including in his home state.
This insanely long thread is quite fun to do. Apologies for the feed pollution.
As I've been sitting here, leaflets and flyers from a bank, a lobby for lowered taxes, an NGO for sea rescue, the local greens and from the Green foundation have landed on the table!
As I've been sitting here, leaflets and flyers from a bank, a lobby for lowered taxes, an NGO for sea rescue, the local greens and from the Green foundation have landed on the table!
Also, Bremen has local elections next year! They get a "congrats to the lead candidate", no huge mobilisation onto the stage. Was too quick to get a photo. But local isn't state...
And now debate on chapter 6 in programme! (I haven't read it! Sorry!) Seems it's on... regions?
And now debate on chapter 6 in programme! (I haven't read it! Sorry!) Seems it's on... regions?
Farewell-speeches to the long-time party treasurer, Benedikt Mayer, who after long service is stepping down due to health reasons. Tearful farewell-speeches from young greens, on how they always felt supported by him... 😭❤️
Shit, now I'm crying.
Song playing: Sixteen tons
Song playing: Sixteen tons
Benedict addresses the question: can @Die_Gruenen maintain the current levels of support?
"Only if we know and understand our history."
Tells of the change in attitudes in society, and of not being a party of only one generation: "That, dammit, we aren't!"
"Only if we know and understand our history."
Tells of the change in attitudes in society, and of not being a party of only one generation: "That, dammit, we aren't!"
Benedikt says there's a Swedish saying (that I've never heard): "Surplus is the mother of boredom. And I was NEVER bored!"
Speaks of the two colleagues who died during his time in the office, and of the 14 children and two grandchildren that were born in the same time. He's a great speaker who has always taken care to not take center stage. He's proud of the badge that says "Team".
Says he has a diagnosis that calls for an operation and for several months of rest. Fortunately he managed to move the op until after the #BDK18 to do a managed transfer, "as any treasurer would wish". ❤️
This is "party-as-family" at its best, I guess?
Here we go again! Place 3 on the list! @TerryReintke is a known candidate. "Are there other candidates?" No! Terry presents: feminism, authoritarian backlash was going to be her original speech... But! she changed her mind and will talk of her 88-year old grandmother!
Who when she was Terry's age was pregnant with her third child. And of her parents who watched the rise of the nazis. And how she decided at a young age never to see their mistakes repeated.
Strong stuff.
Strong stuff.
And @TerryReintke's grandmother only once told her anything political. And that was: "Tell that @JunckerEU that we don't want any more war".
And the worth of Europe this opened to her, and what follows: a commitment to a Europe for social justice, for fundamental rights...
And the worth of Europe this opened to her, and what follows: a commitment to a Europe for social justice, for fundamental rights...
And voting.
1) Abstention
2) No
3) @TerryReintke!
I like the odds. Third leftie in a row for the list. First time ever?
1) Abstention
2) No
3) @TerryReintke!
I like the odds. Third leftie in a row for the list. First time ever?
4th place candidate will be first Realo, MEP and chair of @europeangreens, @bueti... At least!
@TerryReintke is picked for place 3 on the list! Around 86 %, missed the exact nr, sorry!
Claudia Roth announces two climate/anti-coal demos, one in Berlin, one in Köln/Cologne.
And same question: are there any other candidacies than @bueti? No! And presentation for place 4 by Reinhard! Start: Schiller-reference and explanation of the process of writing the radical message of the text of the Ode to Joy. Here in Leipzig!
Attack on populists: they are a symptom of a problem, but they only make the cause worse. We are the alternative.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ode_to_Joy and the hipster-move of referencing the ORIGINAL text: "beggars become brothers of princes". Deep cuts.
Reinhard lists all the countries in which Greens are over 10 %, and say we have a good chance to grow and have a stronger group at #EP2019!
Vote is open for place 4. Result: 75.84 % for. And a snarky comment to those who did NOT vote for him. 😀
And for place 5: first competition! Now it starts! Maria Heubuch is a farmer and MEP from Baden-Württemberg. Topics: farming (surprise) and trade policy. She will have 2 countercandidates, and speaks for 6 minutes.
Further points in presentation: woman farmers and girls in agriculture in the global south. Maria is one of two German Green MEPs who joined the EP part-way trough the term as others moved on to other tasks.
The ones who left were @JanAlbrecht and... Hmm. Who? Can't remember!
The ones who left were @JanAlbrecht and... Hmm. Who? Can't remember!
Maria gets two very friendly questions (Glyphosate and... something) that gives her valuable extra minutes to speak. Whereas the questions Reinhard got weren't exactly friendly...
Now Gabriele Kiefer presents her candidacy. Leads with CO2-emissions of textile industry. But she speaks a bit too quite and past the mic... 😬
Gabriele speaks on research on energy production, numbers on energy saving renovation... And on resources the EU makes available... But she's losing the room, I'm afraid. Calls her own candidacy a "spontaneous one" since she "couldn't find anyone in the EP" who deals with this.🤔
Polite applause and a question on why she has not engaged with her local Greens, and why she didn't ask for their support. 😬
Yeah, no.
Yeah, no.
And third candidate for place 5: Hannah Neumann from Berlun-Lichtenberg. She's been campaigning with the Greens of Bavaria and Hessia, and earns her living by doing non-conflict-local-inclusion. This is the clear challenger, strong speech on racism and anti-semitism.
Speaks on Lichtenberg where the Greens get 7 % and the AfD 20. And on how the Greens in next elections need to be the strongest growing force, and the AfD the biggest losers.
Strong anti-war, pro-human-rights-speech from Hannah. This will be intetesting. Questions on reproductive rights, AfD and on the zero-percent-interest-rate policy of the ECB. I would say 2 friendly questions and one challenge! 😀
Yep. On ECB Hannah refers to @sven_giegold and says she'll have to study. On the others good answers, on her work in the Philippines in a conservative Catholic country and her local work.
Aaand first REAL vote!
Hannah Neumann gets a majority in the first round (64,29%), against a sitting MEP! QUITE an upset!
This is one of the things that has consequences further down the list... Does Heubuch candidate a further time on place 7?
Place 6: uncontested, another bio-farmer, Martin Häusling, also he a sitting MEP. Does the list have space for only one farmer? 🤔
Great question from @JakopDalunde: how many seats are predicted for the Greens from Germany? The answer from @FHenriques is crazy but true:
Last time it was 12. If the polls hold up, it will be a BIG group. If. Always if.
Last time it was 12. If the polls hold up, it will be a BIG group. If. Always if.
So Martin Häusling gets 90+ % and I'm on a coffee run so missing the action in the room! Sorry!
So candidates for place 7: @anna_cavazzini (got back into room when she brought the room to shake with applause! But missed the speech... 😭) and Henrike Hahn from Bavaria, who leads with that we don't let us be scared by the extreme right.
Anna spoke on global topics, trade and her work on trade negotiations. Henrike speaks on Green economy and industry policy, and on clear communication on what the EU has done for us.
Henrike got a question on equal chances for education, and one on feminism. She answers with that she works on veggie meals for school children, and that "half the power belongs to the women", also in STEM-fields, coding, etc.
Maria Heubuch repeats her candidacy as well!
Anna wins in first round!
These results are amazingly clear throughout!
Congrats, @anna_cavazzini! This rocks big time! And place 8 opens with Erik Marquardt on refugee solidarity!
I like @ErikMarquardt's jacket-and-hoodie-look, and his emotive words, taking you directly to the boats in the Mediterranean...
I was wondering if I missed something.... But yes, @ErikMarquardt is the ONLY candidate for place 8! And he's elected with 80,86 %. Congrats!
Social justice-speech from Katrin Langensiepen, with the support from the Green handicapped people's-working group. Another VERY strong speech!
She's candidating for place 9, of course. (Remember, odd places reserved for women, even places are 'open'.) She gets questions on EU education standards and the Turkey deal. Critical on the latter, very eloquently, based on personal contact.
And Henrike renews her candidacy!
And Henrike renews her candidacy!
The emotions in these head-to-head races are intense! Waiting for results...
Katrin wins! Congratulations!
Place 10. Only one candidate, current MEP (and only Sinto in the EP) and child of Holocaust-survivors, @RomeoFranz1. He did a very cool speech when Orban visited the EP, and is working on equality, equal opportunities and anticorruption.
Romeo was on place 12 on the list last time, and advanced to be MEP last year. In 2014 11 were elected, now he got the 10th place with a safe 85 %.
First presentation in absentia: Jutta Paulus (@JuttaPaulusRLP) from Berlin is introduced by Georg Kössler, because she is hospitalised. He's doing a strong job of it! We're now at place 11, and at some point the presentations will be cut down further in time...
Jutta from Berlin (Georg presented her work on energy) vs @ViolavonCramon who speaks of the agrarian and Eastern Europe, against dictators and authoritarians. Will be another head-to-head.
And note, the ones who don't make it in their own round don't get another presentation!
And note, the ones who don't make it in their own round don't get another presentation!
This is the point when different regions, states and interests in the party INTENSELY are talking to each other, lobbying for their own candidates...
4 candidates, and only one has just gotten to introduce themselves! Nerves...
Finally, no abstentions, no "no"-votes... And @JuttaPaulusRLP gets most votes, but NO majority, so SECOND ROUND!
Missed the results... All COULD have gone into second round, but two announced they don't. Henrike vs Jutta (this will be clear...?)
Maria and Viola are betting on better chances for place 13, I guess, if they save their energy and release the votes (or have pre-existing deals, who knows).
Jutta takes it, as I guessed. Georg accepts for her.
And another fun one, place 12, @RasmusAndresen vs @michabl are known candidates (First clear left-vs-left-run). And a challenger appears! Sergey Lagodinsky! So 3 candidates for one seat!
Rasmus (from the North, and active in the Danish language minority) candidates on economic topics, on environmental issues and on closeness to new and young minister @JanAlbrecht! Has support from his state and from working group on LGBTQ.
One friendly question (minorities) and a challenging one (will he give up his place in local politics) to Rasmus... Answer: he wants to increase connection between the local and the European levels.
Minorities: frisians, sinti, roma, minorities commissioner.
Minorities: frisians, sinti, roma, minorities commissioner.
Micha speaks of global themes, of conflict minerals, a stop to weapons-exports to autocratic regimes, climate refugees and a climate movement in Europe, in the streets!
Sergey (from Berlin) speaks of growing up in the Soviet Union and being told everyone in West Germany are enemies, everyone in the DDR are brothers and sisters, and how the EU is the antithesis to this. Also Sergey mentions @JanAlbrecht! 😀
So place 12 will be a case of two leftie candidates running against each other, and a Realo. Let's guess who takes it... Going into voting now. Sergey's speech was strong, and this is where it starts to count...
And Sergey is @SLagodinsky, of course!
Clear result, @SLagodinsky takes it in the first round! Congrats! And good luck considering next steps, @michabl and @RasmusAndresen! 😬
This will go on! But I have to leave for an hour or so! Argh, just when things get exciting! Place 14 will be chaos...
So! I just got back, and a long series of runs has paid off for Henrike Hahn, who started running for place 7, and finally scored place 13.
#BDK18
#BDK18
And I even made it back for the presentations for place 14! @jonworth wants a EU rail legislation with strong passenger rights.
Also! I don't know how many followers I've lost because of this, but so far the count is positive... 😀
The candidates!
Other than place 14, take a look at the bored guy at top AND bottom of the pic above... He's the sign language interpreter. Who of course has nothing to do when there's just text.
So Micha runs again, missed Thilo's presentation...
And @michabl has it! Congrats! ❤️❤️❤️
I would say @michabl has to give a big thanks to @RasmusAndresen who looked at the results in round 12, and took a dive... 😭❤️
This is a harsh field!
This is a harsh field!
And I'm curious for place 16 now! The strength in the polls means people will be fighting through the evening, for real! Now we're on place 15, a women's seat... And I'm not sure of the name of the excellent speaker, parliamentarian and geo-scientist speaking now! Sorry! 😬
She's @UlrikeGote, and she running sgainst, at least, Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, the first black woman elected to a city council (? Stadtrat) in Germany!
Third candidate for place 15 with very similar rhetoric: elected position, feminism, LGBTQ, but with her own take on it. Henrike Müller has an education-take: attacks on @ceuhungary are condemned, personal experience of the DDR and the repressive education system there. Good!
She's @MullerHenrike, of course. And thanks her home org, the Bremen Greens.
The political line in general between all candidates for place 15 is shared, but they each have their own theme. Really strong! Spontaneously, Henrike feels like her presentation is the syrongest.
The political line in general between all candidates for place 15 is shared, but they each have their own theme. Really strong! Spontaneously, Henrike feels like her presentation is the syrongest.
But of course! There are still earlier round candidates trying their luck/doing their thing! 6 in total, wow!
Voting closes... This CAN'T be done in first round, right?
Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg is French-German and stresses that...
Here we go! Only candidates who reach 10 % can advance to second round.
Finally a proper round! Anna, Pierrette and Viola...
Third (cut-off-)round! Only two top-scorers can run!
Here we go, a voting malfunction JUST next to me! 😀
Looks like Anna has this, but...
706 votes, 397 votes for Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg who is picked for place 15! And she is @candidate_verte here. Guess she'll have to change it after the election! Congrats!
Ok, I will do my first vote recommendation in the thread! For place 16, since he can't present himself and because he's great and for everything... For place 16, if I had a vote I would be all in for @RasmusAndresen! For minority rights (even if they're Danish!)!
Yaas Rasmus has 45 % in first round! Going into second...
Going into distance reporting... 😀
Yess! @RasmusAndresen on place 16! This is great!
He accepts the position! We're having champagne now! 🍾
❤️
Mood.
Also mood.
Yes she does!
Votes are still going on at #BDK18. Still more than 600 delegates STILL voting, though I've lost overview at least an hour ago. Big love to all who still are sorted!
Ok, 590 votes for... Jan? For place... 24?
No, 590 votes total, majorities being handed out in third voting rounds. And someone has lost their bank card, pick it up at the security. VERY practical. "And relatively early!" says the presidency!
Like, we're going to change the agenda, which requires a 2/3 majority, at 23:00. I LOVE this!
Yes! Amendments-committee-vote! Antragskomission is among the most important bodies in the party, and I'm following the process on a screen with beer, and this is in the top-10 emotional moments, as @MiKellner thanks people leaving it, and no-one can think straight...
Let's go for unanimity! As many candidates as there are places! Go @SilkeGebel, go!
Also @TerryReintke also for Antragskommission!
Just to re-cap: at 23:00 the crowd at the #BDK18 started rhythmically clapping. The rhythm? "We - will - we - will rock you!"
After that, the ever glorious Vice-president of the German @Bundestag, Claudia Roth, announced the football results. (Biggest applause at the win of @BVB against @FCBayern.)
THEN the #BDK18 decided to keep working, with a 2/3 majority.
Unglaublich. ❤️
THEN the #BDK18 decided to keep working, with a 2/3 majority.
Unglaublich. ❤️
In Germany, we have a word for victory: Freibier. #BDK18
A re-cap:
Also, I'm not at the meeting yet, still in recovery mode (Thanks, Freibier!). And I seem to have misplaced my phone charger last night, so this may be cut short. If so, thanks to everyone who joined!
To fill up the list to place 40, the #BDK18 is now doing votes for four places at a time. Every candidate still gets a change to present themselves though, and applause!
So those were four women's places, here are the four corresponding "open" places:
These are generally considered as "zero chance/risk of being elected" but there's always people who just want to campaign!
These are generally considered as "zero chance/risk of being elected" but there's always people who just want to campaign!
Props to the German construction industry, by the way, who brought a carpenter as part of their booth. He's just hanging out, constructing things. Kinda sweet.
Oh look, @SkaKeller giving interviews again.
So the last two seats are being voted on, 38 and 40. Still 4 candidates in second round. Again, props to those still fighting for these!
And to their supporters who give applause when vote results are announced! STILL some energy in the room.
Third round, last place being filled from a list of candidates whittled down from... 6? Or 5? Or was it more? to a final two.
Best of luck to Carl-Christian and Manfred!
Best of luck to Carl-Christian and Manfred!
Carl-Christian Heinze takes the last seat. His speech was on peace. @MiKellner thanks the room for staying with the time plan, and moves from the party's own process (what we've been doing for the last two days) to the process as demanded by the law on the European election! Ha!
I had no idea this was still going to happen! It will be a printed paper-vote with a single list as chosen by the #BDK18 over the two days. Until it can be printed up, @jamila_anna intro's the debate on the chapter on foreign policy in the election programme.
Jamila leads with the centenary of the end of WW 1, of course, and moves on to trade policy, international relations, and ending with a reminder: peace politics is on the ballot, with @Die_Gruenen!
Oh damn, not sure I can deal with this. Ruben Neugebauer from @seawatchcrew speaks on what it means when they come too late to save people in the Mediterranean. 😭
His is a guest speech on the international chapter, thanking individual Greens for their support, but also the party, and says he believes the strength in the polls is to do partly with a clarity of position on the indivisible character of the worth of the individual. Powerful.
Ends with a standing ovation.
And now a different topic: the first "Putin-versteher" (my estimation), Andreas Herden, speaks on Crimea and Syria. Loud *boo*ing from different parts of the room. There will be a vote on some part of the programme.
And now a different topic: the first "Putin-versteher" (my estimation), Andreas Herden, speaks on Crimea and Syria. Loud *boo*ing from different parts of the room. There will be a vote on some part of the programme.
These were the first negative interactions I've seen, which is remarkable, in a way! And the *boo*s were totally deserved, I think. (Yeah, no, I'm no neutral observer!)
And now @MiKellner opens the FORMAL ballot vote on the #EP2019 list, which is a confirmation and formalisation of the list that has been banged out over the last days. Very carefully placed words, all the time asking if there is an objection to the process. All must go right.
There's been many court processes (recently around the AfD) where disgruntled wannabe-candidates have brought parties or parts thereof to standstill due to poorly managed processes. So everything must be just right when it comes to this.
Now to take a vote on the programme position on CETA ("Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement" between EU and Canada). But there's some unclarity on what we're voting on... Two underlined texts... against each other?
People getting tired. 🙄
People getting tired. 🙄
They pulled through somehow. Chapter closed, now final vote on the whole election programme!
Approved!
Approved!
A bit of tifo to celebrate. And @RobertHabeck speaking on the sunset yesterday, and the good mood, energy and happiness of the #BDK18 this time around.
It wasn't always that way, but now it was.
It wasn't always that way, but now it was.
Huge Earth behind him, and people interrupt him with another set of "we-will-rock-you"-applause. Nice.
Also nice: if only women voted, @Die_Gruenen would be biggest party in Germany.
Also nice: if only women voted, @Die_Gruenen would be biggest party in Germany.
SpitzenkandidatInnen and (Co-)Vorsitzende
Robert comes to a close, that was nice! And a bit of cardboard-waving, it's hard to stop when you get started.
Three candidacies for the now-open position of treasurer, Bundesschatzmeister(in?). One of them only announced now as the debate is opened.
Second candidacy presented, saw himself as a bit of a joke candidate, I think ("I candidate because I can"). So decided to use up a bit of our time. 🙄
Last vote of the #BDK18? Anyway, treasurer vote. This takes... Long.
Marc has it, with 70 %. He seemed businesslike. Followed by a speech in support of a statement on the DDR-tradition (centred here in Leipzig) of forced doping and of abuse in sports.
No counter-speech. Surprise.
No counter-speech. Surprise.
It was voted on, though. That was the last vote. Now reporting on the paper ballot... Approved. This is what it looked like.
Let's go, this is the start of the #EP2019-campaign for @Die_Gruenen.
And the end of my reporting! Thanks, everyone, this was fun, I promise not to make it into a habit! Thanks to the strongest Green party in the world for being such good hosts and putting on a good show!
