(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The German Green Party held its pre-election conference yesterday in Berlin, with gay marriage and climate change at the forefront.
The party was bullish about its chances in September's parliamentary elections, despite recent polls showing their support at 7-8%, its lowest level in 15 years.
'I'm not interested in the thousandth poll, co-leader Katrin Goering-Eckardt said.
The Greens are at their best 'when there's enough of a tailwind and that's what we have at the moment, she added.
Quite where that tailwind is coming from is not clear.
What is clear is that the Greens will not compromise on gay marriage: 'There will be no coalition agreement with us without marriage for all, read their manifesto.
The party gathered under the slogan 'Climate First, a parody of US President Donald Trump's 'America First mantra.
Parliamentary leader Anton Hofreiter poured scorn on the US's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, calling it a 'crime against the future of all humanity.
But there was controversy as the Greens themselves changed tack on climate change.
After heated debate among the nearly 800 delegates, the party voted to move its deadline for Germany to move away completely from coal energy from 2025 to 2030.
The compromise was 'at once radical, realistic and responsible, co-leader Cem Ozdemir said.
Restrictions on armaments exports and a new approach to tackling terrorism were also on the agenda.
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