movements | Gen-Z regulates – between solidarity and appropriation

In several cities, “Gen-Z-regulated” brought a total of 100,000 people onto the streets. Photo: Jürgen Lösel/dpa There will be another demonstration on November 20th. The “Gen Z Regulates” initiative is once again calling for protests in more than 30 cities, and at the same time students at several universities want to go on strike against teaching. The first nationwide day of action at the end of October brought more than 100,000 people onto the streets. Most demonstrated peacefully for better education, affordability, climate protection and against conscription. However, subsequent riots, particularly in Frankfurt am Main, dominated the political debate.

Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) spoke of “violent left-wing groups and migrant chaotics” who had mingled with the demonstrators. Other Union politicians also warned against the protests being infiltrated. Green Party politicians and SPD Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had warned against blanket attributions. The Left criticized the criminalization of the protests and requested a current hour in the Bundestag.

But how do those movements that have long been taking to the streets for climate protection, social justice and left-wing politics view Gen-Z? And who is actually trying to use the protests for their own benefit?

Fridays for Future (FFF) has so far stayed organizationally out of the demonstrations. In terms of content, however, there are definitely overlaps. The climate movement declares its solidarity with the peaceful protests for climate protection, better learning and living conditions and against conscription. It is particularly easy to ignore the interests of young people in times of crisis. While politicians keep promising better schools and intergenerational equality, in the end decisions are made over the heads of young people: "We now need a concrete policy that also focuses on young people: money for better schools, real participation, future opportunities and a good life for everyone."

Luisa Neubauer, one of the best-known voices from Fridays for Future, also sees the younger generation's anger as justified. In a guest article for the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" she describes a generational contract that has become fragile: The promise that things will be better for the next generation can hardly be maintained in view of the climate crisis, the ailing education system and possible conscription. “The fact that young people in Germany and all of Europe are now speaking out is not only their right - it is downright overdue,” says Neubauer.

At the same time, Neubauer has strategic advice for the organizers. On RBB Inforadio she recommended bundling the demands more closely. The many crises made it understandable that the movement wanted to tackle as many problems as possible at the same time. But building up political pressure will be easier if the goals are more clearly defined. Neubauer also sees the danger that the riots after the demonstrations will be used to discredit an entire generation.

The Interventionist Left (IL), the most important left-wing radical group at the movement level in Germany, is positioning itself in a much more offensive manner. The IL explained to the “nd” that it shared the anger about the political situation. The generation spent some of its most important youth years in lockdown and is now experiencing a policy that requires military service, while at the same time a large part of public services is being cut. The IL does not see the increasing anger as a reason to distance oneself, but rather as a consequence of the fact that the prevailing conditions hardly offer young people any prospects.

It is therefore no coincidence that the protests are getting more angry. »This generation has no place in the existing circumstances. This is also why this protest is so irreconcilable and rightly so!” says the IL. The organization sees this not just as a protest against individual political decisions, but as a fundamental conflict with the prevailing conditions.

When asked who was behind the movement, the IL replied: "This is not a planned campaign thought up by activists, but part of a youth revolt that is taking place around the world." There were people on the street who had hardly demonstrated so far as well as experienced activists. Parents also demonstrated out of concern that their children could be sent to war by the federal government.

The IL therefore wants to participate in the movement and support existing structures if necessary: ​​"We are already in the middle of it in some cities and of course we want to strengthen and support the emerging structures where it makes sense." It is particularly important to avoid a paternalistic relationship. In the end, what counts is that people organize themselves and stand up for their interests, but movements are always movements of different groups, each of which does its part to bring about change. »We will do our part of the work and will be happy to share our movement knowledge with new people.«

While the IL, FFF but also Die Linke and their party youth show solidarity with the protests in press releases, the Union is trying to interpret the protest differently. This is particularly clear at the Junge Union. Its federal chairman Johannes Winkel (CDU) explained in the ARD "Report from Berlin" that he could understand the dissatisfaction of young people - the young generation is being neglected by politics, according to the 35-year-old member of the Bundestag.

However, Winkel's explanation for the protests is remarkable: he attributes the youth's disappointment with politics primarily to the federal government's pension policy. The planned pension reform is catastrophic for the young generation, and if the government implements the pension commission's proposals, it can regain trust, said Winkel. In doing so, the JU leader is trying to embed the protest into his own political dispute with the federal government from last year. At that time, the Young Group under his leadership rebelled against the government's pension plans and demanded lower pensions and pension contributions. The fact that the demonstrators are protesting against conscription, social cuts and rearmament and are demanding better education and climate protection plays no role at all in his interpretation.

Union politicians had previously warned against political infiltration of the demonstrations by left-wing groups. Now it is the chairman of his own youth organization who is trying to hijack the protest for his own agenda. Federal Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) had already tried to link the justified frustration of young people with excessive pension contributions, but there was no response.

While parts of the Union that are more security-oriented warn about the supposed dangers of the coming demonstrations, other parts of the Union try to attribute their own political concerns to the young people. The Left and the extra-parliamentary movement, in turn, see the demonstrations as having the potential for a broader social awakening. What the movement is actually demanding can be seen on its website and at its upcoming demonstrations.

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