Matthew Hauser '23: Environmental Activism Could Reshape German Politics
In the 2017 German Federal Election Chancellor Angela Merkel of the CDU/CSU Party narrowly earned herself a fourth and final term, forming a coalition with the SPD, the second-largest party in Germany. Despite Merkel’s re-election, the far-right AfD (Alternativ für Deutschland) stole all the headlines, earning 94 new seats in the Bundestag, the German legislature, becoming the third-largest party. Only four years prior, the AfD had won zero seats and garnered less attention from political media. With this surprise, along with trends outside of Germany, it seemed as if the far-right was surging.
But since 2017, an entirely different political movement is on the rise, and the AfD’s polling numbers are stagnant. The Green Party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), led by Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck, is currently the smallest in the Bundestag, with only 67 seats (8.9%). However, recent polls have found support ranging from 20 to 24%, a dramatic shift in the German electorate, situated only behind the ruling CDU/CSU. In another stroke of good fortune for the Greens, the leader of the CDU, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, resigned recently. The CDU's new search for leadership leaves the Greens ready to capitalize. Austria offers a promising example of the environmental movement's success. Currently, a coalition between their Green Party and the center-right Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP), which is comparable to the German CDU, governs Austria. The energetic Greens seek to reorder German politics in 2021, at the next election. The current government has revised its environmental agenda, acknowledging this new political movement.
2019’s numerous ecological disasters, from record heat waves to wildfires, galvanized much of the German people towards greater environmental awareness. The Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year,” gained worldwide support through her climate strikes and “Fridays for Future”' movement. In September 2019, 6 million people supported her climate strike, in a wave of protests worldwide. The environmental movement has changed the German culture, inspiring a new eco-consciousness across the country. For example, the new word Flugscham describes the new cultural “shame of flying.” The carbon footprint of air travel is much higher than other forms of transportation. Thus, pressure from environmental activists changed German attitudes significantly. The current government has responded to the new momentum of the Green movement. Chancellor Merkel acknowledged that Thunberg and other activist movements "certainly drove us to speed up" efforts to change policy. She added that the movement “has led us to approach the matter more resolutely," said Merkel.
But since 2017, an entirely different political movement is on the rise, and the AfD’s polling numbers are stagnant. The Green Party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), led by Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck, is currently the smallest in the Bundestag, with only 67 seats (8.9%). However, recent polls have found support ranging from 20 to 24%, a dramatic shift in the German electorate, situated only behind the ruling CDU/CSU. In another stroke of good fortune for the Greens, the leader of the CDU, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, resigned recently. The CDU's new search for leadership leaves the Greens ready to capitalize. Austria offers a promising example of the environmental movement's success. Currently, a coalition between their Green Party and the center-right Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP), which is comparable to the German CDU, governs Austria. The energetic Greens seek to reorder German politics in 2021, at the next election. The current government has revised its environmental agenda, acknowledging this new political movement.
2019’s numerous ecological disasters, from record heat waves to wildfires, galvanized much of the German people towards greater environmental awareness. The Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year,” gained worldwide support through her climate strikes and “Fridays for Future”' movement. In September 2019, 6 million people supported her climate strike, in a wave of protests worldwide. The environmental movement has changed the German culture, inspiring a new eco-consciousness across the country. For example, the new word Flugscham describes the new cultural “shame of flying.” The carbon footprint of air travel is much higher than other forms of transportation. Thus, pressure from environmental activists changed German attitudes significantly. The current government has responded to the new momentum of the Green movement. Chancellor Merkel acknowledged that Thunberg and other activist movements "certainly drove us to speed up" efforts to change policy. She added that the movement “has led us to approach the matter more resolutely," said Merkel.
With such momentum, fortune, and energy, the Greens are in an advantageous position. The next months will tell if they can turn such success into electoral victory in 2021.
Pro Green Demonstrations in Germany
Credit: T-Online
Current polling averages versus seats in the Bundestag, as of February 27, 2020
Pro Green Demonstrations in Germany
Credit: T-Online
Current polling averages versus seats in the Bundestag, as of February 27, 2020
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