It was not without criticism that the European Parliament voted on Thursday that there is "climate emergency". In practice, the resolution has no effect but is seen as a symbolic action by the European Parliament ahead of the upcoming climate summit in Madrid.

Before the vote, more Germans were critical of the European Parliament's intention to use the word emergency, when it was last used in 1933 and the then German "emergency regulation" that introduced and abolished democracy and fundamental rights, reports the German newspaper die Zeit.

Fridays for Future critical

Fridays for the future movement in Germany also said on Thursday. In a statement on Twitter, the movement writes that "the EU announces climate emergency without taking action, it is like the emergency services in an intervention would proclaim" it is burning "and then not extinguish," reports Welt.

A dozen cities in Germany, such as Cologne, Kiel and Saarbrücken, have already declared climate emergency.