A decades-old informal dialogue format between Germany's Greens and the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, known as the 'pizza connection,' is being revived. The initiative aims to bridge political divides amid a changing landscape.

Green Party co-leader Franziska Brantner revealed that former CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer attended a party meeting in Leipzig in late April. Brantner described the meeting as an effort to prevent societal fragmentation.

The original 'pizza connection' began in the mid-1990s in an Italian restaurant in Bonn, where politicians from the rival parties explored common ground. The new version is based in Berlin, with participants and location kept confidential.

Green co-leader Felix Banaszak called the dialogue a 'union of the political mainstream.' Despite past hostility—including CDU leader Friedrich Merz labeling Greens 'crackpots'—both sides now seek potential cooperation.

In three German states (North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein, and Baden-Württemberg), the CDU and Greens already govern together in coalitions. This state-level experience could pave the way for future federal collaboration.

Source: www.dw.com