Post about Greta: Violent allegations of populism against Rülke

Created: 06/22/2022, 11:41 am

Baden-Württemberg's FDP parliamentary group leader Hans-Ulrich Rülke speaks in Stuttgart.

© Uli Deck/dpa/archive image

With a post on climate activist Greta Thunberg and electromobility, FDP parliamentary group leader Hans-Ulrich Rülke got into trouble.

Rülke recently published a combination of images on his Facebook page without comment.

The top half shows Greta Thunberg with the sentence "I demand everyone drive electric cars now!" ("I demand that everyone drive electric cars immediately").

Stuttgart – The lower half shows children muddied in a mine in Africa, with the sentence: "We're mining the cobalt for your batteries as fast as we can, Greta." possible, Greta").

According to research by the dpa fact check editorial team, however, there is no evidence that Greta Thunberg ever demanded that electric vehicles be made compulsory.

The photo from Africa also does not fit into the context because it shows children mining gold and not toxic materials for electric car production.

Rülke has been heavily criticized online for the post, accused of embarrassing populism and AfD methods.

"The AfD in the state is looking for a new chairman and Mr. Rülke is applying for it via Facebook," said CDU General Secretary Isabell Huber on Wednesday.

“Something like that has no place in a democracy.

If this man still has a spark of decency, he has to apologize for this post.” dpa