Despite concerns about young people's fear of the future: Habeck reprimands the Lützerath protests - "wrong symbol"
Created: 01/13/2023 13:52
By: Bedrettin Bölükbasi
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck.
(Archive image) © Kay Nietfeld/dpa
Federal Economics Minister Habeck has little understanding for the demonstrations in Lützerath.
It is the "wrong symbol".
Munich – The village of Lützerath in North Rhine-Westphalia has been the scene of massive demonstrations and clashes with the police for several days.
Lützerath is to be completely demolished in order to expand lignite mining in the region.
This is met with rejection from climate activists.
The police are currently conducting an evacuation.
Lützerath demonstrations: Habeck speaks of the "wrong symbol" and defends the contract with RWE
Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) has now commented on the debate.
The Green Minister, who missed his goals in expanding renewable energies, has little understanding for the large protests against the demolition of Lützerath.
“There are many good reasons to demonstrate for more climate protection, including against the Greens.
But Lützerath is simply the wrong symbol," Habeck reprimanded the demonstrations to
Der Spiegel
.
The village is not the symbol for a "continue as before" at the Garzweiler opencast lignite mine in the Rhineland, but "it is the final line," stressed Habeck.
The coal phase-out in the local coal mining area is preferred by eight years to 2030, which was always the goal of the climate movement.
“The agreement gives us planning security.
Because of you, investments are now being made in a climate-neutral energy supply, in hydrogen power plants.”
Two of the RWE Group's coal-fired power plants, which were actually supposed to be shut down, would remain on the grid "a little longer," admitted Habeck.
At the same time, he justified the move: "It's not something I'm proud of, but it's essential because Putin is at war with Ukraine and we're fighting the energy crisis." Habeck also defended a corresponding contract between the federal government and the state North Rhine-Westphalia and RWE.
That means: “We save five villages and farms with around 450 residents.
The Hambach Forest has been secured.
The agreement has halved the permitted amount of open pit coal.”
Lützerath protests: Minister Habeck worries about the youth's fear of the future
The Green Minister also expressed his concern about growing fears about the future among young people.
"I'm concerned that part of the younger generation is in danger of losing hope," he told the news magazine.
"Twenty-year-olds are now considering whether they want to have children at all," the minister said.
He knew this debate from his youth, it had been gone for 30 years.
"Now she's back.
Understandable, the climate crisis is a reality,” said Habeck.
Therefore, it is now a matter of "making the difference in the next few years so that the country becomes climate-neutral in 2045".
Habeck's job is to "do everything we can to convert our energy system," explained the minister.
Despite his criticism of the protests in Lützerath, he also emphasized that he could understand the frustration of the young people that "everything is going so slowly".
"Young people have the feeling that the generations before them made life difficult for them," emphasized the Green politician.
(bb/dpa)
