Devastating floods shake German election campaign to succeed Angela Merkel

Although combating climate change was already a recurring theme in the election campaign for the legislative elections in September GermanyAnd the fatal flood They have now made it an urgent issue for all candidates.

As the country recovers from the tragic storm, which has left at least 81 dead and many more missing, those aspiring to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel have yet to raise the issue publicly.

An environmental deputy who has attacked his opponents for their positions on climate change since the beginning of the tragedy, was forced to delete his message on Twitter. After being accused of an outright attempt to profit from the incident.

Conservative candidate Armin Laschet in opinion polls conducted on September 26, at the head of North Rhine-Westphalia (West), One of the two areas most affected by the floods, Beside the neighboring Rhineland-Palatinate.

In this prosperous region of Germany, which has cities such as Dusseldorf, Cologne and bonAnd the Entire cities destroyed from the flood of rivers that cross them.

“The fact that people are dying in a highly industrialized country from harsh climatic conditions… it simply shows We are increasingly reaching the limit of our adaptabilityMeteorologist Mujeeb Latif, a researcher at the Kiel Institute of Oceanography, warned in the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.

German policymakers of all factions Immediately eat the consequences of global warmingIt is a new issue among Conservative Party members such as Interior Minister Horst Seehofer.

This figure from Merkel’s CDU insisted that Germany should do so “Be prepared much better” in the face of climate change.

Even the co-leader of the Green Party, Robert Habeck, pointed to the enthusiasm of some politicians To go to disaster areas.

Now is the time for rescuers And not from politicians who are content to go around,” Habek said on his Instagram account, although he admitted that it was legitimate to do so to get an idea of ​​what happened.

Fighting

Immediately, The Greens are behind the Conservative Party The intent to vote, after a series of controversies that affected the campaign of his candidate Annalina Barbock, the other president of the Environmental Party.

Although the Greens, shocked by events, have not yet questioned the climate policies implemented during the 16 years of Merkel’s reign, Civil society representatives took responsibility for this.

“The catastrophic consequences of the torrential rains in recent days Pretty much our own responsibility“Holger Stecht, president of the German Confederation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (Bund) in North Rhine-Westphalia, criticized.

Holger reprimands above all Construction in flood areas Deforestation of slopes prevents rain retention.

For this region’s environment minister, Ursula Henin Esser (CDU), Climate change is the main factor in the drama.

“the challenge “We sometimes have very dry and sometimes very heavy rain,” Heinen Esser told local newspaper Kölner Stadt Anzeiger.

Soil “It was barely able to absorb more water due to drought in previous years and rainfall in recent weeks,” continued the leader, who admitted that “it is practically impossible to respond in the short term.” For her part, Professor of Hydrology at Britain’s University of Reading, Hannah Kluck, explained that “the fact that so many people are dying in floods in Europe The year 2021 represents a complete failure of the system.”

Meanwhile, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged ‘Commit decisively’ in the fight against global warming.

“Only if we decisively commit ourselves to the fight against climate change We can control extreme weather conditions Like the ones we live in today, Steinmeier said in a speech.

France Press agency

PB