She was the party's candidate for chancellor in the federal election. She was first elected to the Bundestag in As a child, she joined her parents at anti-war and anti-nuclear power protests organized or supported by the Green Party. As a teenager, Baerbock was a competitive trampoline gymnast , taking part in German championships and winning bronze three times.
From to , Baerbock studied political science at the University of Hamburg , where she qualified for a pre-diploma. She also worked as a journalist for the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung from to The next year she succeeded Ska Keller as co-chair of the board with Benjamin Raschke , an office she held until Baerbock served as the national spokesperson for the Green Party's working group on European affairs from to From to , she was a member of the executive board of the European Green Party , under the leadership of co-chairs Philippe Lamberts and Monica Frassoni.
In , Baerbock unsuccessfully ran for a place on her party's electoral list for the federal elections. In her parliamentary group, she served as speaker for climate policy. In addition to her committee assignments, Baerbock served as deputy chair of the Berlin-Taipei Parliamentary Circle of Friends and a member of the German-Polish Parliamentary Friendship Group from until In the election , Baerbock was again the leading candidate in the state of Brandenburg, retaining her seat in Parliament.
On 27 January , at the Green Party's national convention in her hometown of Hanover , Baerbock was elected as one of two equal chairpersons of her party at the federal level, with Robert Habeck.
In the negotiations to form a coalition government under the leadership of Minister-President of Brandenburg Dietmar Woidke after the state elections , Baerbock was a member of her party's delegation. On 19 April , the federal board of the Greens officially nominated Baerbock as candidate for chancellor for the federal election — the first time the party had nominated a single candidate instead of co-leaders. Baerbock is the second woman after Angela Merkel to seek the highest government office, and the first woman nominated by her party.
