In Germany, students have been taking to the streets for weeks to demonstrate more climate protection - during class time. Chancellor and ex-CDU leader Angela Merkel has praised the demonstrations in her latest video podcast nonetheless. That does not appeal well to everyone in their own party.

"School time is not a demo time," said CDU Federal Board member Christian Baldauf SPIEGEL. The marches are "a great initiative and a reminder that must be heard by politicians," said the leader of the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament. "The involvement of children and adolescents would be even greater if it took place outside school." Baldauf: "I would have wished for a few words from Chancellor Merkel."

Deputy CDU leader Thomas Strobl criticized Merkel indirectly for her remarks. "Climate protection affects us all, and it's very nice to see how many young people are committed to the topic - very active, on the street," he told SPIEGEL. "At the same time, it can not be true that there are ongoing lessons due to the demonstrations," said the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of Baden-Württemberg. Strobl: "Incidentally, the commitment to the topic would be even clearer if the students were to exercise this commitment in their free time."

Accusation of irresponsibility - from one's own party

Chancellor Merkel had described the student protests in her podcast as a "very good initiative". "I strongly support that students take to the streets for climate protection and fight for it," she said. "We can only achieve our climate protection goals if we also have support in society." At the same time, the CDU politician campaigned for understanding that some things did not go as fast as the students wished.

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Merkel's praise for the demonstrations contradicts previous statements from her party. That the protesting students for their actions fail the lesson, had been previously criticized by leading CDU politicians explicitly, even if one rated the concern a positive. In this sense, among others, Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier and Federal Education Minister Anja Karliczek. CDU ministers from the countries even threatened with sanctions.

Already on the weekend, Merkel was sharply criticized for her remarks by the value union, a conservative CDU group. He considers it "irresponsible, if the Chancellor demonstrations, which regularly violate compulsory education, flat-rate and unrestricted as a 'very good initiative'," said value union chief Alexander Mitsch.

Last Friday, the young Swede Greta Thunberg, who launched the campaign "Friday for Future", demonstrated in Hamburg with local students.