Cultural office warns against right-wing mobilization against climate protection

The Kulturbüro Sachsen warns of the mobilization potential of the extreme right against climate protection. It is not currently the main mobilization topic, but it has been prepared over a long period of time and will become increasingly important in the coming years, said Managing Director Michael Nattke. In the last federal election campaign, for example, AfD posts on the AfD's social media on the topic of climate protection had already triggered the most interactions.

There are two currents within the right-wing scene that are directed against climate protection, as Nattke explained: on the one hand, anti-ecologism that is hostile to science and plays down or denies the consequences of climate change, and on the other, eco-fascist currents that use the topic of environmental protection for their völkisch ideology. They propagate that people should stay in their "ancestral place", then there will be no climate change.

Despite differences in content, both movements work together in key areas. According to Nattke, their main enemies are initiatives that campaign for climate protection. The Greens, for example, are the object of hatred and are repeatedly attacked. In some cases, there are also physical attacks.

With the new project "Echo! Climate in a democratic space", the cultural office therefore wants to support democratic initiatives and committed people. Specialist days and training sessions focus on the exchange of information, networking and opportunities for action on the topic of climate protection and the prevention of right-wing extremism. The findings are to be recorded in a handbook. The first event is planned for the end of April 2025. The project is supported by Stiftung Mercator.