Cem Özdemir recalls battle with Chancellery lights during coalition talks

During the ultimately unsuccessful "Jamaica" coalition negotiations in 2017, German politician Cem Özdemir found himself in a peculiar battle not with political opponents, but with the lighting system at the Chancellery. The 60-year-old politician, known for his Swabian roots, recounted how his ingrained frugality led him to meticulously ensure that lights were turned off before leaving a meeting room.

"I thought, I can't just leave and leave the light on – you just don't do that as a Baden-Württemberger," Özdemir explained. However, the modern Chancellery offices featured complex control boards rather than simple click switches, leaving him "quite overwhelmed and busy for a long time" trying to extinguish the lights.

His prolonged effort to turn off the lights did not go unnoticed. Then-Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly returned to the room, having noticed Özdemir's absence. "Eventually, I saw Ms. Merkel standing in the doorway. She came back because she noticed that one of the participants was missing. And when she saw me, she said, 'What are you doing here?'" Özdemir recalled with a laugh.

The "Jamaica" exploratory talks, involving the CDU, CSU, FDP, and Greens, ultimately collapsed in November 2017 when the FDP withdrew. Despite the political outcome, Özdemir's Swabian "marotte", his obsession with saving energy by turning off lights, closing windows during heating, and meticulously sorting waste, persists. He admits it "drives my children crazy," but it remains a deeply ingrained part of his character.