Germany's battered Greens seek new unity

Still reeling from this year's election defeat, Germany's Greens hope to regroup at the party conference in the northern city of Hanover this weekend, with debates on climate change, energy policy and violence in the Middle East.

Controversy is expected in some discussions on the second day of the event, for example over shaping a model for military service and the recognition of Palestinian statehood.

The three-day party conference is being held under the motto "So that the future has a future again."

The Greens, who were part of the last coalition government together with the Social Democrats (SDP) and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), performed poorly in February's polls, garnering only 11.6% of the vote.

They also lost top members in the leadership, namely former finance minister Robert Habeck and former foreign minister Annalena Baerbock.

The question of who could now fill this void is also to be discussed by the delegates.

On the first day of the event, co-chair Franziska Brantner accused the current government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz of giving young people "the middle finger" – and not just on climate action.

It is now time to develop a new intergenerational contract, Brantner said.