In Berlin, Greta Thunberg criticizes political parties for “not doing enough” to fight global warming

Two days before the German general elections, thousands of climate activists, led by Greta Thunberg, demonstrate on Friday, September 24, across the country to demand decisive action against global warming.

The environmental activist criticized political parties for “Not to do enough” to fight against global warming. “Yes, we have to vote and you have to vote. But remember that voting alone will not be enough. We must continue to take to the streets and demand that our leaders take concrete action for the climate ”, launched the Swedish activist during his speech.

To the cries of “Stop coal! “, a colorful crowd gathered in front of the Reichstag, where the German deputies sit, unfurling banners and flags. “The Earth has a fever”, “It’s about our future”, “Vote” proclaimed the signs brandished by a majority of teenage demonstrators, but also families who came with young children. “I have school today but it is more important to do something for the future than to go there”, explains in the rally a 14-year-old teenager, Leonie Hauser.

The message is addressed to the candidates running to replace Angela Merkel in the chancellery, after a suspense vote on Sunday, the games of which remain fully open. For the future of the planet, it is about “Poll of the century”Luisa Neubauer, head of the Fridays for Future movement in Germany, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

During the election campaign, “The political parties have not sufficiently taken the measure of the disaster”, explained Luisa Neubauer. “The big change will only be possible if we put pressure on the streets (…), if we challenge the political parties by saying “now there are no more excuses” ”, she added, ensuring that these elections were “Extremely important”, because they “Will fix the course of things” for the next decades. Fridays for Future, launched in August 2018 and become the forum for the young “climate generation”, is organizing its eighth strike on Friday in more than 70 countries, with 470 mobilizations planned in Germany.

The Greens lagging behind in the polls

In the home stretch before the legislative elections, polls predict a close duel between the Social Democrats (SPD), in the lead with 25% of voting intentions, and the conservative camp (CDU-CSU), which rose to 23% according to a latest Civey poll, Thursday.

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The Greens, at the end of a campaign deemed disappointing, would obtain 15% of the voting intentions, ahead of the Liberal Democratic Party (12%). Their candidate, Annalena Baerbock, joined the climate protest in Cologne on Friday before ending her campaign not far away in Düsseldorf.

When the environmental activists take to the streets, the three main candidates for the chancellery will begin their last campaign meetings, forty-eight hours before a decisive vote and the results of which will be scrutinized throughout Europe.

The struggling Conservative candidate Armin Laschet is expected in Munich with Chancellor Angela Merkel on the verge of leaving the political scene after 16 years in power in Europe’s largest economy. For his part, the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, Minister of Finance and Vice-Chancellor of the outgoing government, is due to speak on Friday in Cologne. The Green Annalena Baerbock will be in Düsseldorf.

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Major challenge

In their programs, the three candidates have made environmental protection one of their priorities for the next four years, committing in particular to limiting global warming to +1.5 degrees. Climate change is a major challenge for Germany, the fourth largest economy in the world with powerful but polluting industries. During the election campaign in mid-July, the country was hit by deadly floods, which killed more than 180 people in the west of the country and are directly linked to climate change, according to experts.

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In a new report, the United Nations (UN) concluded that limiting global warming to +1.5 degrees was impossible without an immediate and massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The 2015 Paris agreement called for limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees above the pre-industrial level, and ideally 1.5 degrees. But on the basis of the current commitments of the member states of the agreement, “The world is on the catastrophic 2.7 degree path”, warned UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently.

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The World with AFP