Online petition for Robert Habeck: Thousands sign

Robert Habeck was the face of the Green Party's election campaign - and could now turn his back on politics. Many people don't like that at all.

Tens of thousands of people are calling for Robert Habeck to remain in politics in an open letter. In a time full of crises, we need "people - and more importantly leaders - like you," says the description of an online petition that was launched on Monday and signed by more than 230,000 people in just a few days.

The Green Party's candidate for chancellor opposes "the backward-looking, cynical and dehumanized discourse" and stands for "common sense, solidarity and confidence," it continues. "You are a beacon of hope for many. And beacon of hope must not leave when they are needed most, but must take on leadership and responsibility."

After his party's poor performance in the federal election , Habeck announced that he would no longer seek a leading role in the Greens. There was disappointment in his own ranks too: parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann, for example, regretted the move. Habeck had run a good election campaign and was partly responsible for the fact that the Greens had gained around 42,000 new members since the collapse of the traffic light coalition. Green Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann even told the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung": "I hope for him and for us that he leaves the door ajar for a return."

In the election, the Greens dropped to 11.6 percent after a result of 14.7 percent in 2021. However, Habeck was re-elected to the Bundestag. It is not yet known whether he will take up the mandate as a member of the Bundestag.