Ten theses for the German Greens

Following an electoral defeat on 22 September, the author outlines ten theses to guide the German Greens through a process of strategic clarification. The author argues that the party's failures were not merely technical but rooted in 'profound conceptual paradoxes and ambiguities', particularly regarding the lack of a distinctive answer to the social question and the absence of a robust 'Energiewende 2.0'. The document calls for a shift away from 'lifestylish-vague' politics toward solid proposals for green industrial policy, public infrastructure investment, and a clearer relationship between ecology and society.

• The party failed to provide a distinctive response to the social question and lacked a robust framework for the energy transition, specifically failing to present a fully developed 'Energiewende 2.0' beyond general intentions.
• The Greens' approach to ecological transformation lacked necessary economic foundations, specifically a green economic policy to drive green industrial policy and support innovation in the SME sector.
• Fiscal and tax proposals were criticized for being overoptimistic in their calculations and for presenting redistribution as an end in itself rather than a means to improve public infrastructure.
• The party's campaign failures were not just operational but reflected deeper conceptual ambiguities in green politics, necessitating a new fundamental programme and a clarification of the link between prosperity and the green economy.

APA

Siller, P. (2013). Ten theses for the German Greens. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/ten-theses-for-the-german-greens/

Chicago

Siller, Peter. Ten theses for the German Greens. Green European Journal, 2013. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/ten-theses-for-the-german-greens/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Siller |first1=Peter |title=Ten theses for the German Greens |publisher=Green European Journal |date=30 September 2013 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/ten-theses-for-the-german-greens/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{siller2013ten, author = {Siller, Peter}, title = {{Ten theses for the German Greens}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2013}, month = sep, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/ten-theses-for-the-german-greens/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }