After the European elections, a lot is possible: YouTuber policy, the rise of the Green make. And all because young people are suddenly politically – and are preparing to set your own Agenda.
With passion for the climate: “Friday for Future”pendant in Munich at the end of may
On the evening of the 26. May anyone could imagine for a brief Moment, what it means, when nearly 20 million people raise their voice. The night of the European elections showed that Young people are interested in the world around you – and they are loud.
The turnout was higher, it had to watch with horror as their consent were the values, the climate party, the Alliance 90/The Greens triumphed: all credit to the young voters. No other party cut in Germany, so at well under 30-Year-old from the Green.
Now is, therefore, the talk in Germany of a new, politicized Generation. Comparable only with the young guns of the period around 1968, made in Germany, values of the post-war period in question. Similar to how over 50 years ago, this climate could Generation the old policy of encouraging the operation of, a new set of values, its own Agenda.
Trigger Climate
In Germany more than 19 million people under the age of 25. In the West of the country, comprising around 24 per cent of the population, in the East, 19 per cent.
Not all of them can choose, but the movement “Fridays for Future” has managed to mobilize many. In mid-March, the environmental movement has called for the first global climate strike at the end of may, the second followed.
Over 300,000 people, mostly students, demonstrated in Germany, many for the first Time. A sample survey on the first climate demo in mid-March, conducted by the Institute for Protest and movement research, showed that around 31 percent of the students had never previously participated in a Demonstration.
Greta Thunberg has established the climate movement in Sweden. It applies to many of the young environmentalists as a model. “Greta Thunberg has broken a dam. You will go down in history as the man who changed the discourse. With Fridays for Future young people under the age of 18 and are not allowed to choose have felt, for the first Time, as it is, the world agenda to help shape,” says youth researcher Simon Schnetzer. He is editor of the youth study “Young German”.
Female, young, unattached
Currently it works in Germany as a whole country have suddenly discovered its citizens under 30 years of age. Students will be invited to the most important political talk shows on television and gracing the cover of prestigious German news magazine “Spiegel”. This shows only what has been coming long. The “Shell youth study” held in 2015, in comparison to 2002, instead of 30 percent now, 41 percent of young people declared themselves to be politically interested.
One has, however, changed in the last year: The new culture of protest is female. A study of the Technical University of Chemnitz showed that the “Fridays for Future”protests in Amsterdam, Florence, Warsaw and Vienna were led to 70 percent of the demonstrators.
The new protest culture is moving away from institutions. As early as 2016, reported in a study of the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation, only 16 percent of the politically Engaged, to be in the strict sense politically active, so as a member of a political party or trade Union. Anna Nell stands for this new Form of political engagement.
Anna Nell of the “Young Freiburg” is critical of the established parties
The 19-Year-old lives in one of the youngest cities in Germany, in the South of the country: in Freiburg. There, they engaged in a “Young Freiburg”, a group party of young people applying for city Council. “The European elections showed, what a huge wave of youth creates just. We now need to be taken seriously,” says Nell. She eschews the major parties, because it takes to long to be heard.
YouTube as the catalyst
To get a hearing, is different now. The young and Enthusiastic have a powerful ally: the social networks. Shortly before the European elections, the Video of the German YouTubers Rezo caused a commotion. In it, he criticised the major parties, the CDU and the SPD, especially for their lack of climate protection. The Video has been watched over 14 million Times. In a video message to over 70 well-known German YouTuber from advised, then, to select the CDU or the SPD.
Among the supporters Rezos, the YouTuberin Diana to the lions. With its more than 600,000 subscribers, is a real YouTube size. Especially for your fashion and Beauty Videos, puts them increasingly on political content. She has made a Video about abortion and prior to the European elections with the EU Parliament. Under your Videos, your followers are enthusiastic about the new political issues. “YouTube has grown with me,” Diana says to the lion of the DW. “I eventually found that I didn’t even know what is happening around me.” Her new political interest they wanted to share with your audience.
The Youtuberin Diana lion wants to offer its viewers more political content
For the political scientist and the founder of the “Y-policy”Podcasts Tanja Hille, the influence of Social Media Stars to create normally, there is no political content is just crucial. “In my Generation it was still so, that we had to get us information,” says the 27-Year-old. “Today, young people are supported by YouTuber like Diana lion the political issues into the house. You have to deal with it. This is also why Rezos Video was so successful.” Also, Rezo was before, not for political content, but for entertainment videos known.
Awkward Policy
In the policy, the rise of the young vote has not arrived yet. In the parties in the Bundestag only a few members are found of younger cohorts.
And also in dealing with new forces such as Influencers large parties still show awkward. On the YouTube Video Rezos the CDU party headquarters responded with an 11-page PDF on the net. “Who reacts, not well understood by the youth. No one reads yet”, says Anna Nell from Freiburg.
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The young and still politically
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The young and still politically
The young CDU politician Diana Kinnert said in an interview with DW: The concept of “party is unattractive on a hundred different levels. Young people are not apolitical; they are involved only different.”
Also YouTuberin Diana lion criticized, especially the defensive attitude of the parties. “I think what many have tired of are politicians without a heart the blood. We want to see passion, and also politicians who take us on Instagram in your everyday life.”
Policy re-think
The “Fridays for the Future”to”movement, especially of educated young people from the middle class. And so non-partisan, as it seems, is not the movement: Some of the most famous “Fridays for our Future,”representative in Germany are members of the “Green” and “Left”.
But the European elections has already shown that young people are able to set the political Agenda. “I think that we are seeing only the beginning. The policy is mixed up operation, because the young people are just extreme opinion, but it is also able to reach so many people,” says youth researcher Schnetzer.