Thunberg in Sweden’s elections
‘As a voter, I feel stupid’
Although Sweden is the home of world-renowned climate activist Greta Thunberg, climate protection and the environment play a secondary role ahead of the Swedish parliamentary elections on Sunday.
Greta Thunberg (M), a climate activist from Sweden, participates in a climate rally Friday for Votry with other protesters. Photo: Claudio Bresciani / TT News Agency / TT / dpa
That’s why the Friday for the Future movement pointed to the importance of fighting the climate crisis at protests in several Swedish cities on Friday. Thunberg told TT news agency at a protest rally in the capital, Stockholm, that the topic had been completely ignored in principle during the election campaign. The police there initially spoke of about 2,000 participants.
When she was young, she felt abandoned because no one cared about her future, Thunberg told TT. “But as a voter, and this year I am, I also feel very stupid.” Of course, among the alternatives available, there are some that are less terrible than others. However, neither side’s policies are consistent with what is needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
Nearly 430,000 young Swedes will be able to vote in parliamentary elections for the first time this year – including Thunberg. Before the last elections in 2018, the 19-year-old sat alone in front of the Swedish Reichstag to protest her country’s politicians’ call for more efforts to protect the climate. This gave rise to the international climate movement Fridays for Future.
Social Democrat MP Magdalena Andersson is fighting to remain prime minister in Sweden’s elections on Sunday. In recent television debates with her conservative rival Ulf Christerson, rampant gang crime, soaring energy prices and social issues have played a major role. Climate is rarely mentioned.
“It looks bleak for the climate in the next state,” warned the leading daily, Dagens Nyheter. 227 Swedish companies complained that the green turn was seen only as a necessary evil. In an article in Aftonbladet, they wrote: “Our concern is that many politicians in Sweden describe this change as only a major problem when in fact it represents a major opportunity.” (SDA)
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