Legislative in Germany: the climate issue at the heart of the campaign
Audio 02:33
The German Minister of Finance, candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) for the chancellery in the next parliamentary elections in Germany, poses with a supporter after his meeting in Munich, on 09/19/2021 AFP - ANDREAS GEBERT
By: Anastasia Becchio
5 mins
Among the most debated issues during this electoral campaign: global warming.
The theme was revived after the devastating floods that hit western Germany and claimed nearly 200 lives.
Report in one of the two affected states, North Rhine-Westphalia, led by Armin Laschet the conservative candidate.
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From our special correspondent,
In the city center of Euskirchen, south of Cologne, the Veybach stream has regained its tranquility.
But for the inhabitants, as for the mayor of the city, Sacha Reichelt, it is now associated with a very bad memory.
“
This river rose so high, it came out of its bed and first flooded the schools here… And there, it is the pedestrian street, the Neustrasse, which was also very affected
”, describes the town councilor.
Two months after the deadly floods, the workers are busy, the rubble continues to accumulate behind some windows.
“
Meteorologists tell us that this event is an expression of climate change.
When we have been touched directly, we become much more aware of it than when we only hear about it
”.
The floods have revived the theme, already very present, of global warming in this region, which continues to exploit coal in surface mines.
Not far from the largest of them, two candidates, one CDU, the other Green are campaigning.
But if their stands are almost side by side, their points of view are very different.
“
I think the floods made people realize that adjustments had to be made to protect the climate.
But if we destroy our economy with too strict measures, we will become a counter-example in the eyes of the world,
”said Conservative MP Günter Krings.
The Greens want to accelerate to 2030 the date for the closure of coal mines, set at 2038 by the SPD-CDU tandem.
Kathrin Henneberger, environmental candidate, for her part regrets Armin Laschet's comments on the floods: “
He said that we cannot change politics overnight because of a day like that.
It made a lot of people angry.
They had the feeling that the politicians were not assuming their responsibilities.
"
While Angela Merkel has been seen as a chancellor concerned about climate change, the same cannot be said for Armin Laschet, who often describes himself as the son of a coal miner and whose campaign pledge is to keep the industry in Germany.
Difficult in this case to remain credible with young voters.
“
I think he represents the generation that put us in this delicate situation,”
remarks Ella Schetter, Fridays for future activist in Bonn.
Warming is already having an effect on our region, we had these floods this summer.
People must wake up and choose those who can govern our country well in the years to come
”.
According to several polls, global warming is the theme that most worries Germans, ahead of the Covid or migrants.
The latest inquiries gave the leader of the SPD (the Social Democratic Party) and current Minister of Finance, Olaf Scholz, leading next Sunday's elections, ahead of the CDU of Armin Laschet and the Greens led by Annalena Baerbock.
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