Kevin Kühnert Condemns "Absolutism" of "Last Generation" Climate Activists

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Kevin Kühnert in the Willy Brandt House in November

Photo: IMAGO/Fotostand / Reuhl / IMAGO/Fotostand

The general secretary of the SPD, Kevin Kühnert, has condemned the actions of climate activists of the "last generation" as too drastic.

When asked if he understood the group, he replied in an interview with "Zeit Online": "Not really." And said: "What fundamentally bothers me is the absolutism with which the climate activists proceed - according to the motto: What are democratic rules of the game compared to what we stand up for and what we want to defend.«

Anyone who argues in this way considers "consequently attacks on democratic parties, on the critical infrastructure, perhaps also on people's health to be legitimate," asserted Kühnert.

"That's the end of it for me."

“Don’t keep pointing the pedagogical finger at people”

At the same time, the climate movement is very diverse and has an important concern.

"And after I've sat on the streets every few months for half my life to block Nazi marches, I don't want to keep pointing the pedagogical finger at random people and pillorying civil disobedience per se," said Kühnert.

»Because of course we are still too slow-moving when it comes to meeting our climate targets.«

In recent months, the »Last Generation« group has repeatedly blocked roads, attacked works of art or temporarily paralyzed the capital's BER airport in Berlin.

The group has announced further and intensified disruptive actions for the coming week.

The head of the CSU deputy in the Bundestag, Alexander Dobrindt, had warned of the emergence of a "climate RAF".

Kühnert said: "A rhetorical outbidding competition à la Klima-RAF will not get us anywhere." In his words, everyone should return to the political discourse.

»This also includes, as an activist, recognizing that you are obviously not doing your cause a favor if you repeatedly act in areas that are highly relevant to security.«

kko/dpa