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POLITICS

Anger as climate activists smear German monument

Politicians reacted angrily Saturday after climate activists smeared a black liquid on a monument near Germany's lower parliamentary chamber on which the articles of the country's constitution are inscribed.

Platz der Republik
On Saturday, politicians expressed their displeasure following an incident where climate activists applied a dark substance on a monument near Germany's lower parliamentary chamber. Photo by Maheshkumar Painam on Unsplash

The group behind the action near the Bundestag in Berlin, Letzte Generation (Last Generation), has carried out several similar actions to draw attention to the climate crisis.

They posted a video online of people dressed in fluorescent orange safety jackets spraying the liquid on some of the 19, three-metre high glass panels on which articles of the constitution are inscribed.

They also put up posters bearing the slogan “Oil or constitutional rights?”.

Basic Law 49

The monument, called “Basic Law 49” in reference to West Germany’s 1949 constitution, was created by Israeli artist Dani Karavan.

“I am shocked that the activists of the #LastGeneration are smearing this important work of art on the Basic Law,” tweeted Baerbel Bas, president of the ruling Social Democrats in the Bundestag.

“It stands as a reminder to respect our fundamental rights,” she added – including the right to freedom of expression and assembly that they themselves enjoyed.

No matter what message was intended, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann tweeted, “… it can only be wrong!”

“The Basic Law stands for freedom, democracy and the rule of law,” added Buschmann of the Liberal Democrats, one of the coalition partners of Germany’s ruling Social Democrats.

Complaints filed

Police have not yet identified the liquid the campaigners used in their action.

The six activists involved have been identified and complaints had been filed, a police spokeswoman told AFP.

The Greens and opposition conservatives also condemned the activists’ action.

Last Generation’s previous actions have included blocking major highways and throwing paint over artworks in museums.

They now face legal action after a regional prosecutor last year opened an investigation into the group on suspicion of undertaking or supporting criminal activity.

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POLITICS

Scholz calls on coalition to ‘pull ourselves together’

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday called on his fractious governing coalition to "pull ourselves together" following a dismal showing in EU parliament elections last week.

Scholz calls on coalition to 'pull ourselves together'

In power since the end of 2021, the three parties in government — Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the liberal FDP — have been at loggerheads on a wide range of issues including climate measures and budget spending.

“I think that this is one of the entirely justified criticisms of many citizens, namely that there is too much debate” within the coalition, Scholz told German television channel ZDF on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy.

“We need to pull ourselves together and stick together to reach agreements,” he added.

“The people have the right to demand that things change,” Scholz told public broadcaster ARD.

The three parties in the coalition suffered a severe defeat in the European elections, with the SPD achieving its worst result in a national election since 1949.

Subsequently, Scholz has faced mounting criticism within his own party.

On Saturday, however, Scholz told ZDF and ARD that he was “sure” that he would be the SPD’s next candidate for the chancellorship in the parliamentary elections scheduled for autumn 2025.

In the very short term, a new test awaits the coalition, which must reach an agreement on the 2025 budget by the beginning of July.

The FDP’s finance minister is opposed to any exceptions to the rules limiting debt and to any tax increases.

On the other hand, the SPD and the Greens are opposed to cuts in social welfare or climate protection.

The debate is also focused on increasing the resources allocated to the German army.

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