No more blockages, Dernière Génération calls for the creation of a citizens' council for the climate

On May 31, a large tent was set up on the lawn surrounding the Reichstag building, home to the German parliament. Inside, figures from the worlds of culture and politics, such as Social Democratic MP Marco Bülow, author Kübra Gümüsay, and Austrian heiress and philanthropist Marlene Engelhorn , were gathered.

All were invited to discuss the fight against climate change. “With this gathering, Last Generation wanted to celebrate its big comeback ,” reports the Tageszeitung . “The movement will now be called New Generation.”

In early 2024, members of the German branch of Dernière Génération announced that they would abandon the highway blockades and other shock actions led by the environmental movement. They now want to create what they call a “people's parliament,” a kind of citizens' council designed to take immediate action to combat climate change. “The idea behind it is that if ordinary citizens could finally be in charge, without the influence of economic lobbies and political tactics, then Germany could effectively combat the climate crisis.”

Is this really the case? asks the left-wing Berlin newspaper. Can a citizens' council made up of randomly selected individuals work in Germany in 2025?

The idea emerged within the movement around the time of the 2021 parliamentary elections, when activists organized a hunger strike to put the issue at the heart of political debate . At the time, climate protests brought together hundreds of thousands of people and Social Democrat Olaf Scholz presented himself as “the climate chancellor.”

Since then, the war in Ukraine, migration policy, and inflation seem to be increasingly preoccupying politicians. And the far-right Alternative for Germany , a party not known for its environmental agenda, is on the rise.

The activists interviewed by the Tageszeitung are aware of this. “In my opinion, because here we all share the same political opinions, we imagine that putting ordinary citizens in power is enough to solve everything,” analyzes Pauline Schumacher, one of the participants present in Berlin. “But, in my opinion, this is not a true reflection of our society.” The media outlet agrees. You only have to look at the profiles of the people gathered under the tent to be convinced: “this 'people's parliament' is a closed-door, a left-wing closed-door.”

However, the activists intend to reconnect with the rest of society by opposing their "people's parliament" to what they call the "profit parliament" , namely the Bundestag.

“It’s the contrast between the white tents surrounded by the crowd and the imposing façade of the Reichstag.” The idea is to restore legitimacy to the activists, who present themselves as “the voice of those who no longer want to accept the status quo.”