THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Germany is poised to make political history as Cem Özdemir, a veteran Green Party politician and the son of Turkish immigrants, prepares to become the first person with Turkish roots to lead a German federal state following his party’s victory in the Baden-Württemberg state election.
In the vote held on 8 March, the Green Party narrowly won the election with about 30.2% of the vote, edging out the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which received 29.7%. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) finished third with around 18.8%, while the Social Democratic Party (SPD) recorded a historically low result of about 5.5%.
The result positions Özdemir to succeed outgoing Green premier Winfried Kretschmann, who has led the prosperous southwestern state since 2011. With more than 11 million residents and major industries such as Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Bosch, Baden-Württemberg is one of Germany’s most economically important regions.
A Historic Milestone
If confirmed as state premier, Özdemir will become the first leader of a German state with roots in the country’s immigrant communities — a milestone in a country shaped by decades of migration.
Born in Bad Urach in 1965, Özdemir is the son of Turkish “guest workers” who arrived in West Germany during the labour recruitment programmes of the 1960s. His father worked in a textile factory while his mother ran a small tailoring business. Like many children of immigrants in Germany, he grew up navigating multiple cultural identities but has long emphasised that Germany is his home.
Özdemir first entered national politics in 1994, when he became one of the first members of the German parliament with Turkish heritage. Over the decades he has built a reputation as a pragmatic and moderate Green politician. From 2008 to 2018 he served as co-leader of the Green Party, and in 2021 he became Germany’s first federal minister with Turkish roots, serving as agriculture minister.
A Message for a Diverse Germany
Özdemir’s rise is symbolically significant for Germany’s millions of residents with migrant backgrounds — including many Africans living in the country.
Nearly one in four people in Germany now has a migration background, reflecting decades of immigration that have reshaped the country’s social landscape. Özdemir’s political success signals how the children of immigrants are increasingly shaping German public life.
During the election campaign, Özdemir’s strong personal popularity helped the Greens overcome earlier polling deficits. Analysts say his pragmatic style and strong local roots in Baden-Württemberg appealed to voters across the political spectrum.
For many observers, his expected appointment as state premier marks another step in Germany’s gradual transformation into a more diverse and representative democracy, where leadership increasingly reflects the country’s multicultural reality.
Collins Obi
