There was no time for nostalgia or looking back in anger, as Germany's Greens pivoted into campaign mode at their weekend party conference.

The country is expected to elect a new federal parliament on February 23, seven months earlier than expected, following the collapse of its governing coalition of the Greens, the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), on November 6.

But the Greens, a former protest party, do not want to give up hope of being a ruling power as part of a new coalition. Party leaders have spoken of taking responsibility for the country in difficult times — even if that may mean having to enter a coalition with the conservatives of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), who are currently far ahead in opinion polls.

Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck has been elected as the Greens' lead candidate with 96% of the vote. In his acceptance speech, Habeck said democracy was threatened by divisions in society, by right-wing extremism and populists. adding that it was yet to be seen what the election of Donald Trump as the new US President would mean for the security of Germany. In this dramatic situation, also considering the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the Greens........

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