Lydia Rudow on the rise: candidacy for Green party leadership position in SH!

Lydia Rudow on the rise: candidacy for Green party leadership position in SH!

In Schleswig-Holstein, a change in personnel among the Greens is causing a stir. Lydia Rudow, who is well connected in Kiel politics, has announced that she will apply for the post of head of the Green Party at the upcoming state party conference on November 22nd and 23rd in Neumünster. This decision comes against the background of the announced retirement of Anke Erdmann, who has led the party for a long time and has announced her resignation for political and personal reasons. A big reason for this is the nomination of her husband, Ulf Kampf, as the SPD's top candidate for the 2027 state elections.

Lydia Rudow, 35 years old, single and without children, has served as Erdmann's employee in the past and was chairwoman of the Green council group in Kiel from 2013 to 2018. She is currently teaching geography and physics at the Schloss Plön high school. Her knowledge and ability to negotiate persistently were already valued during the 2012 coalition talks. Although she is the first candidate for the top job, it remains to be seen whether other candidates will enter the race. The current co-leader Gazi Freitag has already signaled that he wants to continue the existing work, which could lead to further exciting developments in the party structure. According to kn-online.de, Rudow's application could herald a new era within the Greens in Schleswig-Holstein.

Organizational structure of the Greens

The state executive committee of the Greens represents the party both internally and externally and implements the decisions of the party bodies. The current board, which was elected on October 12, 2024, is made up of two equal state chairmen, four deputy chairmen and a state treasurer. The members include Anke Erdmann, Gazi Freitag and a number of other important personalities within the party, all of whom make their contribution to external political representation. This shows that the decision about Erdmann's successor is influenced not only by Rudow, but by a multitude of voices and opinions, as can be read on the same website sh-gruene.de.

With the party conference approaching this weekend, the discussion about the future direction of the Greens in Schleswig-Holstein has gained new momentum. If there is a change in leadership, this could also have an impact on the political landscape in the state.

Anke Erdmann's withdrawal is seen by many as a loss; Nevertheless, the opportunity for fresh blood at the top of the party has come. Lydia Rudow definitely has the potential to take the Greens in a new direction, and her previous experiences as leader of the Green Council group support this assumption.

Where the Greens in Schleswig-Holstein are headed will become clear at the party conference. Will they be able to mobilize their voter base and advance new ideas? The coming weeks will certainly be exciting.