"Hypocritical": Greta Thunberg settles accounts with the Greens
Created: 01/16/2023 15:36
By: Helmi Krappitz
Greta Thunberg in conversation with Anne Will.
© screenshot ARD
The evacuation of Lützerath is over - but the discussion about climate policy is not.
Greta Thunberg settles accounts with the Greens.
Update from January 16, 8:51 a.m .:
Greta Thunberg has criticized the German Greens for their support for the demolition of Lützerath and the excavation of the coal lying under the village.
Corporations like RWE should actually be held accountable for how they treat people.
"The fact that the Greens make compromises with such companies shows where their priorities lie," said the Swedish climate activist on Saturday in an interview with the German Press Agency in Erkelenz.
She herself was never associated with a green party.
Leading Green politicians such as Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck and his NRW colleague Mona Neubaur defend the demolition of Lützerath by saying that the coal underneath is needed to maintain energy security in the current crisis.
Thunberg said: "The coal that's in the ground here isn't going to bring prices down immediately.
Anyone who thinks that way simply has no connection to reality.”
The 20-year-old came to Germany to support the protest against the eviction and demolition of Lützerath.
"I've been here before and it was completely different then," she said.
"It's very sad to see that.
It's a completely different place now." Regarding the crater landscape of the Rhenish lignite mining area, she said: "It really looks like Mordor.
It shows what people are capable of under the wrong conditions.
It shows what we are fighting against, what we are trying to prevent.” In Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, Mordor is the realm and the base of the evil Sauron.
Thunberg had already visited Lützerath on Friday and denounced "police violence".
Aachen police chief Dirk Weinspach had vehemently rejected the criticism.
On the contrary, the police acted with extreme caution, he said.
When asked if she maintained her criticism of the police, Thunberg told dpa: "Police violence means different things in different countries.
But there have been several instances where police have endangered the lives of activists.”
Thunberg then followed up on Anne Will on ARD and described the Greens as “hypocritical”.
After all, the Greens first took part in the demos for Lützerath and then willingly sacrificed the place.
Update January 15, 10:43 p.m.:
The introduction of renewable energy can create new jobs - more than the jobs that exist through fossil fuels.
According to Hüther, a bridge must be built to redistribute the jobs.
This is a greater challenge in the new federal states.
Politicians must act at this point, demands Neubauer.
No old compromises should be made, but new political foundations should be created.
Update January 15, 10:40 p.m .:
Nuclear power is particularly dangerous in times of global warming, according to Latif.
Hard decisions have to be made.
Politicians must say goodbye to old methods.
The necessary funds for renewable energy continue to be pumped into the nuclear and coal industries.
Latif calls for new ways without trusting corporations like RWE.
Update January 15, 10:38 p.m .:
Hüther calls for everyone to use flexibilities for the transition phase to renewable energies.
Even if the climate policy effect does not work.
According to Hüther, lignite must also be used in phases of energy phases.
Reul criticizes that activist groups do not act flexibly in crisis situations.
He also calls for flexibility.
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Update January 15, 10:35 p.m .:
Lang understands that Green voters are disappointed that they are joining other parties who were against the coal phase-out.
Regarding the criticism of the Greens, Neubauer does not plan to leave the party, but to save Lützerath.
According to Neubauer, millions of tons of CO2 must remain in the ground.
"Hypocritical": Greta Thunberg settles accounts with the Greens
Update January 15, 10:20 p.m .:
Greta Thunberg describes the Greens as hypocritical.
According to science, sacrificing Lützerath is not the right way to protect the climate.
"Historically, Germany is one of the biggest polluters in the world," says Greta, criticizing the compromise with RWE.
The focus should be on the global climate crisis, not the energy crisis.
Activists are calling for civil disobedience, not violent action.
Greta admits she doesn't know what the most effective way to protect the environment is.
They fight for climate justice and demand that Lützerath stay.
Update January 15, 10:15 p.m .:
Michael Hüther, Director of the German Economic Institute, considers Lützerath’s symbolic politics irrelevant.
The discussion should focus on innovation and politics and not on the security issue of the demonstrations.
Update January 15, 10:10 p.m .:
Ricarda Lang, the Federal Chairwoman of the Greens, supports the compromise that was made with RWE.
She would rather have done some climate protection than none at all.
Lignite is currently essential because of the Ukraine war.
Update January 15, 10:05 p.m .:
Climate researcher Mojib Latif regrets that the events in Lützerath overshadow the actual problem.
The climate crisis is a global problem, but Germany still bears responsibility.
The emissions of the Germans are above average - so Germany cannot shirk its responsibility.
However, he sees Lützerath as a symbol.
Update January 15, 9:49 p.m .:
NRW Interior Minister Reul doubts the disproportionate force of the police and condemns the use of pyrotechnics and stone throwing by demonstrators.
The number of attacks must be checked and requires precise information on all cases of police violence.
Individual cases are already being examined.
Luisa Neubauer emphasizes that she and other activists only support peaceful protests.
The civilian peaceful protest was also in the foreground.
She was also able to observe disproportionate use of force by the police.
According to Neubauer, the goal should have been de-escalating measures by the emergency services.
Lützerath as a symbol of climate policy?
Berlin - On Wednesday, the police began to clear Lützerath.
In protest against the planned demolition of the site and the use of brown coal, the site was occupied by activists.
The eviction is now complete.
The discussion about climate policy is more present than ever.
At 9:45 p.m., the discussion continues with Anne Will in the first.
are guests
Ricarda Lang (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, federal chairwoman)
Herbert Reul (CDU, Interior Minister in North Rhine-Westphalia)
Michael Hüther (Director of the Institute of German Economics)
Luisa Neubauer ("Fridays for Future" activist)
Mojib Latif (climate researcher)
Pre-recorded conversation with Greta Thunberg (climate activist)
