The Greens open an office in Brandenburg: A signal for the East!

The Greens open an office in Brandenburg: A signal for the East!

On November 1, 2025, Felix Banaszak, the federal chairman of the Green Party, opened a new regional office in Brandenburg an der Havel that will act as a “window to the East”. This ambitious project aims to increase the party's presence in East Germany. Given the significant distance of almost 500 km to his constituency in Duisburg, this step raises questions. What motivates Banaszak to go so far east?

A key reason for the opening is the desire to promote exchange between the regions and to strengthen the Greens' ecological and future-oriented policy. Banaszak emphasizes the need to think in a pan-German way and to show closeness to everyday life, especially in East Germany, where the Greens were swept in the last elections in the state parliaments of Brandenburg and Thuringia. This setback resulted in the closure of local offices, which will now be revived with this new office. [Zeit] reports that Banaszak is aiming for a fusion of political perspectives here.

Symbiosis between regions

The conversations with important players in the local Greens, such as Clemens Rostock, the state chairman, and the district chairmen Sylvana Specht and Ronny Patz, made the relevance of this initiative clear. Rostock emphasizes that this opening sends a strong signal after the lost elections and underlines the need for new impulses in the region. Here Banaszak sees parallels between his hometown of Duisburg – the largest steel location in Europe – and Brandenburg, particularly with regard to the challenges posed by structural change and unemployment.

The office will not only serve as a communications center, but will also enable real participation. Banaszak plans to hold his well-known format “Beer with Banaszak” in Brandenburg an der Havel in the future in order to promote dialogue and actively involve people in the political discussion. This could create a valuable bridge between federal policy and local needs, as is also suggested on the Brandenburg Greens website. [Green Brandenburg] emphasizes that this dialogue could promote greater understanding and exchange between East and West.

Where exchange thrives, the chances for improvement are not far off. Banaszak and his colleagues rely on a good hand to bring the region's concerns to Berlin. By bringing local issues into the national political spotlight, politics could become more tangible and approachable for the people in the region.

Overarching vision

This initiative is part of the comprehensive plan that the Greens outlined over the summer. The aim is to network the members in East and West Germany more closely and to provide greater support to the regional associations in East Germany. The experiences from Duisburg and the structural change are important here, so that both regions can benefit from each other.

Through these steps, Banaszak demonstrates that he is willing to recognize the challenges and actively work on solutions. Access and opening up to dialogue could be a new impetus for the Greens in East Germany and bring them out of the political shadows.