Chancellor Angela Merkel has again expressed her positive opinion on the weekly student protests for more climate protection under the motto "Fridays for Future". In a discussion with students at the Thomas Mann Gymnasium in Berlin, Merkel said that such a movement was important to her as a politician.
"That this signal is set, 'there is concern' - that's good for us," said the Chancellor. It is right, "that you make us steam". When Merkel asked the students who had already taken part in the climate protests "Fridays for Future", some hands went up.
For weeks, students, students and other supporters have demonstrated every Friday for more climate protection. The actions are based on the school strike of 16-year-old Swede Greta Thunberg.
Chancellor Angela Merkel had already expressed great sympathy for the movement in early March - unlike, for example, CDU chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. The Chancellor had already received clear criticism from the teachers' association for their encouragement. The schools would be left alone with the problem of school truancy, Association President Heinz-Peter Meidinger criticized in March.
Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) also spoke critically about the ongoing protests during class time. Although the moral appeal is justified and it is really about the future of the students, said Kretschmann on Tuesday.
"This can not be a permanent event"
For once to skip school, fall first under civil disobedience. "Only: Civil disobedience is a symbolic act. It can not be a permanent event." The protests would sooner or later come to an end and could "not go on forever," Kretschmann said.
If you violate rules, you have to expect sanctions. "Otherwise, everyone picks his topic in the end, which he then somehow morally charged - and that is not possible."
One certainly can not declare every Friday for a school-free day in the long term, Merkel said in view of the protests during school. "But your teachers and the local authorities will discuss that with you." One could also learn a lot about climate protection in class in working groups.
Angela Merkel said that policymakers have the difficult task of providing both climate protection, jobs in the car industry and caring that there are no new social problems if traffic is to become more expensive. However, in order for Germany to reach its climate goals by 2030, a lot has to change in the transport sector: "We can only achieve that through a radical change to electromobility or hydrogen or other things."
The background to Merkel's visit to the Berlin School is an EU project day that has been going on since 2007. The Chancellor had initiated him to interest young people in the European Union.