Robert Habeck denies rumors of founding new German political party with Volker Wissing

Denial of new centrist party

Former German vice chancellor and federal economy minister Robert Habeck dismissed speculation that he plans to establish a new political party alongside former transport minister Volker Wissing. Speaking on Sunday evening as the sole guest on the ARD talk show hosted by Caren Miosga, the 57-year-old politician rejected the claims in unequivocal terms. He noted that he had encountered the rumor approximately 100 times in the lead-up to the broadcast, receiving messages from numerous people asking whether the claims held any truth. Habeck reaffirmed his allegiance to the Green Party, giving an unambiguous affirmative answer when asked whether he intends to remain loyal to his political home.

No, and I can explain at length why I consider this idea to be nonsense. But if you want it short: No, there is nothing to it.

Speculation from Berlin political circles

The party founding rumors emerged from the political podcast Machtwechsel, presented by journalists Robin Alexander and Dagmar Rosenfeld. Their commentary reported circulating talk within Berlin political circles that Habeck and Wissing, who left the Free Democratic Party (FDP) to become an independent, were exploring a new centrist entity, potentially involving a departing member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Habeck argued that although any newly formed party would likely generate initial public momentum, the impulse to create a separate movement remained intellectually lazy. He observed that the surrounding public interest nevertheless showed that many voters still value political consensus and moderate governance across the democratic center.

There are no plans, there are no strategies, and there is also no desire to return to politics.

Academic roles and Arctic book release

Habeck withdrew from frontline German politics in late summer 2025, relinquishing his seat in the Bundestag after serving as the Green Party chancellor candidate in the federal election. Over the past year, he has focused on academic and professional projects outside of government, lecturing at several international universities and hosting a public discussion series under his name at the Berliner Ensemble theatre. In July 2026, he assumed a role as a senior advisor at the Danish urban development investment company Urban Partners. On Thursday, Habeck will publish a new book titled Arctic Meltdown: Die Neuvermessung der Welt, which explores competing superpower interests across the Arctic region. He stated that promoting the book on international stages will occupy his time for several months before he considers writing a subsequent work.

Views on state elections and the political order

Throughout the one-hour broadcast centered on whether the political order is breaking down, Habeck reflected broadly on climate policy, populism, and democratic institutions following recent state election results in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. He commented that the electoral gains made by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) did not surprise him, given the structural strains on traditional political parties. Habeck described his vantage point as observing developments from the outside, characterizing his distance from party politics as viewing the world from the North Pole. When pressed by Miosga on the exact duration of his absence from political life, Habeck characterized the current moment as a long period, stating that he currently harbors no ambition to seek elected office.