The Green Party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) formed the current German government in 2021 together with the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Free Democratic Party (FDP).
Approximately 5,000 people participated in the Congress on November 25, with up to 2,000 in the main hall. Among them were Germany’s Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck, Minister of State for Culture and Media Claudia Roth, party leaders, and MEPs. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the only foreign speaker at the Congress. After her speech, the Congress members congratulated the Belarusian leader with three rounds of standing ovation. Vice-Chancellor Habeck and Minister Baerbock wore white-red-white bracelets in support of Belarus.
In her address, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya expressed gratitude to the Greens for their continuous support for democratic Belarus since 2020 and for the German government’s efforts to support Belarusians. She urged participants to continue helping Belarus and make the country a priority in the European Parliament elections. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also asked for help in holding the Lukashenka regime accountable for its crimes and called for comprehensive support for Ukraine to help it win the war. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s participation in the Congress holds special significance in the context of the upcoming European Parliament elections.
“We will continue our solidarity and steadfast support for the Belarusian civil society and opposition and keep demanding the release of all political prisoners. We advocate for sanctions against the Lukashenka regime and for free and fair elections in the country. Lukashenka is guilty of serious human rights violations and war crimes in Belarus, as well as facilitation of Russia’s aggressive war in Ukraine”, the German Greens’ pre-election program states.
