Legislative in Germany: climate protection at the heart of the countryside
Climate advocates marched in Cologne, Germany on September 24, 2021. AP - Martin Meissner
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Two days before the legislative elections, the climate rallies take a particular turn in Germany, Friday, September 24.
The issue of global warming has been very present in the campaign and activists intend to keep the pressure on until Sunday and well beyond.
Some 450 events are organized across the country.
In Cologne, the demonstrators received the visit of Annalena Baerbock, the green candidate for legislative elections.
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With our special
correspondent in Cologne,
Anastasia Becchio
Annalena Baerbock
takes the time to joke with the many children present at the start of one of the processions on Friday. The candidate of the Greens is greeted by the applause of the activists of the environmental party, on the lawn of the University of Cologne. "
Every voice for the Greens is a voice for a government that is committed to the climate,
" she said.
If the polls put the Greens in third place, regardless of which party wins on Sunday,
it will be difficult to do without the environmentalists
.
Yuri, 24, a law student, is delighted: “
We feel that something can happen if there are other parties in power: Die Grünen (The Greens), and also the SPD, who have when even a better program for the climate.
My hope is that they will change something.
"
Die Wahl am Sonntag ist eine Klimawahl.
So wie in Köln gehen heute deutschlandweit zehntausende Kinder, Jugendliche und Menschen jeden Alters beim #Klimastreik auf die Straße und machen deutlich: Sie wollen den Aufbruch, weil sie wissen, dass es um unser go Zukunft geht.
pic.twitter.com/ii8eEJ79Q1
- Annalena Baerbock (@ABaerbock) September 24, 2021
"Change is extremely necessary"
The activists of Fridays for future, organizers of the march, stress that none of the parties in the running has a sufficiently ambitious program to meet the requirements of
the Paris agreements
… even the Greens.
Moritz Böll, of Students for Future, explains: “
We are delighted that the Greens are showing that they are taking the subject seriously, but we find it hypocritical that their program does not comply with the Paris agreements.
Our role is to bring this theme to the streets.
The ball will be in the Greens' court after the elections.
"
For their part, climate activists intend to maintain the pressure, well beyond Sunday's election. On this day of mobilization in Germany, Swedish activist
Greta Thunberg
spoke at a rally in Berlin. She did not fail to mention the imminent election:
It is clearer than ever that no party is making sufficient proposals.
They are not even able to meet half of the requirements of the Paris agreement.
Yes, it is essential to vote, but it is not enough.
To save planet Earth, we must be active citizens and take to the streets as we do today.
We must become climate activists and demand real change.
Because change is not only possible, it is extremely necessary.
But if enough people demand the change, it will happen on election day or some other day.
That is why we must continue to fight.
School strike week 162, in Berlin. # Climatestrike # fridaysforfuture # schoolstrike4climate #UprootTheSystem pic.twitter.com/TavkggeTjO
- Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) September 24, 2021
► Also to listen: The climate, an essential post-Merkel issue
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