Ex-climate campaigner calls for more commitment: Austrians called!

Ex-climate campaigner calls for more commitment: Austrians called!

In Austria, the topic of climate protection remains on everyone's lips, but the events surrounding the movements that are campaigning for a rethink seem to be entering a phase of upheaval. The former spokeswoman for the “Last Generation”, Marina Hagen-Canaval, is now quite critical of developments in climate protection, now a year after the movement was dissolved. According to [sn.at](https://www.sn.at/panorama/oesterreich/ex-klimaaktivistin-schwung-klima Movement-180789187), in their opinion the movement leaves a “gap” because the blockade protests were able to repeatedly bring the issue of climate catastrophe to the fore. However, she also sees a worrying decline in the political relevance of climate protection.

“There is a lot of talk about climate protection, but not much is happening in the background,” says Hagen-Canaval. With the increase in the price of the climate ticket and a doubling of the commuter euro, she speaks clearly against the unsuitable measures. She believes that a comeback by the “Last Generation” is unlikely because their strength has been used up. In the conversation, she also calls for greater engagement from citizens in Austria. She wants to counteract this lack of social commitment with her new book “Resistance – Declaration of Love to the Inconvenient,” in which she deals with strategies in the fight against the climate crisis.

Realignment of the “Last Generation”

Parallel to Hagen-Canaval's views, the current spokesperson for the “Last Generation”, Carla Hinrichs, is announcing a major change for the movement. As ZDF reports, the name of the initiative is being dropped while the activists want to continue fighting for their goals. The 🔄 new forms of protest should be more creative and, by avoiding blockades on road traffic, also less controversial.

Part of the realignment is the realization that the climate crisis in Germany and worldwide is more acute than ever. “We are the last generation that can avert a global climate catastrophe,” says Hinrichs. A lack of road blockades was already reported at the beginning of 2024, which shows that the movement is working on its position in order to transmit its messages more clearly and to be less criticized.

Protests and public perception

The real challenge, however, is that the general public perception of the climate movement is divided. One food for thought that bpb.de leaves relates to lines of conflict in society regarding climate policy measures. Many people support the movements' causes, but disagree with the methods, especially the traffic blockades. “The protests of the “Last Generation” are met with less approval than those of “Fridays for Future,” says Sebastian Haunss from the University of Leipzig.

A noteworthy fact is that the “Last Generation” protests even led to the temporary suspension of air traffic at Cologne/Bonn and Nuremberg airports, which illustrates the urgency and impact of this form of activism. All of these developments show that social movements need staying power to bring about lasting changes in society and politics. This makes clear and understandable communication of the goals and methods all the more important so that both concessions and broad support can be achieved.

All of these aspects are placed in the context of a larger debate framework that makes it clear that the climate movement is keeping the issue alive in the public discussion, even if it continues to face a lot of resistance. Ultimately, the goal is to create clear policy measures that reduce CO2 emissions and put society on the right course.