Politics is the conduct of public affairs for private advantage.
- Ambrose Bierce
Politicians steer clear of climate change ahead of Germany's elections | DW News
Germany Has Voted – And Climate Policy is the Biggest Casualty
Germany has spoken. The people have cast their ballots, and the results are undeniable: the country has taken a hard swerve to the right, leaving climate policy bleeding in the dust.
In a historic election where the stakes were nothing short of planetary survival, voters overwhelmingly chose parties that either downplay or outright deny the urgency of the climate crisis.
A Climate Catastrophe by Popular Demand
Voter turnout was an impressive 82.5%, meaning 49,927,315 Germans participated in shaping the nation’s future.
But here’s the real headline: 29,103,128 of them voted against an effective climate plan.
That’s right—more than half of voters deliberately opted for a government that either refuses to act on climate change or actively seeks to dismantle existing policies.
The CDU/CSU secured 14,158,432 votes. The AfD—a party that outright denies human-caused climate change—bagged 10,327,148. Add in the FDP (2,148,878) and the BSW (2,468,670), and it becomes painfully clear:
Germans have knowingly chosen stagnation over climate action. This isn’t some political accident or a miscalculated protest vote.
This is a conscious, collective decision to prioritize short-term economic fears over long-term planetary stability.
The CDU’s Facade of Moderation Is a Joke
Friedrich Merz, the CDU’s new chancellor, made a big show of promising a ‘policy shift,’ including in climate policy.
His solution? Scrap the Building Energy Act, double down on emissions trading, and dangle an illusory ‘climate bonus’ with no real financial backing. And yet, voters ate it up.
They believed the man who once called climate activists “criminals” and mocked renewable energy policies.
Let’s be brutally honest: the CDU/CSU’s climate strategy is not a plan—it’s a deliberate deception.
It’s designed to sound like action while ensuring the status quo remains untouched. If emissions trading alone were the answer, we wouldn’t be in a crisis.
And let’s not forget that Merz’s CDU is in lockstep with the AfD when it comes to economic and migration policies—both of which have major climate implications.
Austerity-driven economics stifle green investments, while harsh migration policies ignore the fact that climate change is already displacing millions worldwide.
The AfD: Fossil Fuels and Fantasy Politics
The AfD is at least honest in its absurdity: they reject the science of climate change altogether and want to keep burning fossil fuels like there’s no tomorrow—because, at this rate, there really won’t be.
But the most disturbing part? Over 10 million Germans looked at the existential threat of climate collapse and said, ‘You know what? Let’s accelerate it.’
This is beyond political ideology—it’s a death cult disguised as governance. The AfD's stance should be political suicide in a rational world, yet here they are, gaining ground, fueled by voters who have decided that climate denial is a viable policy stance.
Germany’s Missed Wake-Up Call
In 2021, climate policy was at the forefront of political discourse.
The SPD, Greens, and FDP, despite their many failings, at least promised climate action.
And yes, progress was made: renewable energy expansion accelerated, and emissions decreased. But the transition was not painless. Rising CO₂ prices hit consumers, and the promised climate money never materialized. Instead of demanding better implementation, the electorate threw the baby out with the bathwater and turned to parties that will drag the country backward.
Now, the price of this political whiplash will be dire. While emissions might be shrinking in Germany, they continue to rise globally, and the new government’s lax stance will only make things worse.
The CDU claims to want ‘climate neutrality by 2045,’ but without concrete action, this is as good as a fantasy.
Voters Have Chosen Economic Fear Over Ecological Reality
One argument often made for this shift is economic anxiety. People are tired of rising costs, energy prices, and green policies that seem to demand personal sacrifice.
But here’s the harsh truth: there is no economy on a dead planet. The longer climate action is delayed, the higher the costs will be—not just financially, but in human lives.
Germans didn’t just vote for conservative economics; they voted for an illusion. The CDU’s ‘climate neutrality through the market’ is a lie.
The AfD’s fossil fuel fantasy is a disaster.
And the FDP’s corporate-friendly environmental deregulation will only make things worse. (Good, they are out!)
The Road Ahead: A Climate Backlash Is Inevitable
The tragic irony of this election is that the consequences will come faster than voters expect.
Climate disasters don’t care about political timelines. In the next few years, Germany will face record-breaking heatwaves, food supply disruptions, and an energy crisis that no amount of nostalgic longing for coal and gas can fix.
By then, will voters realize their mistake? Or will they double down, blaming migrants, the EU, or some vague ‘climate lobby’ for the consequences of their own choices?
This is the crossroads Germany stands at. The people have voted. The right has won. And climate policy has lost.
Now, the only question that remains is: how much suffering will it take for them to wake up?
Sincerely,
Adaptation-Guide
ADAPT OR DIE!
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