Cem Özdemir Defends Controversial Party-Name-Free Campaign Ahead of Baden-Württemberg Elections

The election campaign of Cem Özdemir, the Green Party candidate for Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg, has found itself at the center of controversy due to an unusual visual strategy. On the candidate's campaign posters, which appeared in the state in early February 2026, the party name is completely absent. The party's characteristic logo – the sunflower – has also been minimized and is barely noticeable. This move has sparked a wave of criticism, suggesting that Özdemir is deliberately distancing himself from his own party in the face of the Greens' declining poll ratings nationwide. The Green Party in Baden-Württemberg has a special history. This state, a wealthy industrial region, has long been home to a strong environmental movement. In 2011, following the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the collapse of the CDU/FDP coalition, the Greens under the leadership of Winfried Kretschmann became the Minister-President of a German state for the first time in history. Kretschmann, a figure with a Christian Democratic background, became a symbol of the party's moderate, pragmatic wing, which secured the Greens a lasting position in this conservative region. In response to the accusations, Cem Özdemir firmly defends his strategy. The politician, who himself hails from the region, explains that the decision was intentional and stems from the specific character of Baden-Württemberg. He emphasizes that the Greens in Stuttgart have a different, more established and pragmatic position than at the federal level. „„Wir waren schon immer ein bisschen anders als anderswo.”” — Cem Özdemir In his view, a strong personal brand and local roots are more important in this state than a party label. The campaign is meant to focus on the concrete achievements of the state government and a vision for the future, rather than on nationwide internal party disputes.

The state parliament elections in Baden-Württemberg are scheduled for March 8, 2026. They are a crucial test for the Greens, who have been governing continuously in Stuttgart since 2011, first in coalition with the SPD and later with the CDU. The succession after the departing Winfried Kretschmann, who has announced he will not seek re-election, makes these elections particularly significant. Özdemir, a former federal Minister of Agriculture, has the task of maintaining the Greens' hegemony in the state, which requires combining the party's traditional electorate with moderate centrist voters. The controversy over the posters shows how delicate this balance is. At the same time, the "soft branding" strategy may be an attempt to attract voters who value the continuity of Kretschmann's policies but are wary of the more radical image of the federal Greens.

An analysis of the communication strategy reveals a broader trend in German regional politics. Popular state-level politicians are increasingly trying to build a personal brand somewhat independent of their parent party, especially when the latter has poor poll ratings. In Özdemir's case, who is a well-recognized figure associated with the state, this could be a move calculated to secure his own position. Considering that Baden-Württemberg is the German state with the highest GDP per capita and a key center for the automotive and high-tech industries, the election result will have significance beyond the region's borders. Observers will be watching whether the "poster without a name" strategy proves to be a brilliant move that protects the Greens from federal unpopularity, or a mistake that blurs their profile and confuses voters on the eve of the vote.