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Kevin Gniosdorz, head of the Junge Union in NRW, wants the Greens to have less influence at the EU level. For them, the “party soul” is more important than the people.
Düsseldorf – Being a little louder than the parent party is what is expected of political youth organizations. Because those who are louder and bolder are perhaps more likely to be heard. Kevin Gniosdorz definitely wants to be heard. The 32-year-old is head of the Junge Union (JU) in NRW, the largest regional association with around 23,000 members, which influences politics in the state.
“Paternalistic political style of the Greens”: JU boss of NRW lashes out
And Gniosdorz likes to exaggerate. Recently, for example, at the NRW Day of the JU in Aachen: “Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann is nothing other than the embodiment of Klaus Kinski of contemporary German politics,” he shouted from the lectern and made a conspicuous number of swipes at the FDP. The party is simply not delivering in the traffic light coalition. “That is disappointing and we need to address it clearly,” said Gniosdorz.
There was still an election campaign, shortly before the European elections. His JU was very active in it, campaigning for the Union candidate Ursula von der Leyen. While the factions in the EU are now gradually coming to terms with each other, Gniosdorz is sharply critical. This time – less surprisingly – it is against the Greens in the EU-Houses of Parliament.
“The citizens of Europe have made it clear that they no longer want the Greens’ paternalistic style of politics, their constant patronizing. That is why they punished this party in the European elections,” says Gniosdorz in an interview with this editorial team.
Young politician wants to sideline the Greens in the EU
The Greens did poorly in the European elections and also lost many votes among young voters. The message has been received by the party. NRW’s Deputy Prime Minister Mona Neubaur, for example, warned her party in an interview with this editorial team against “green client politics”.
Meanwhile, JU man Gniosdorz demands: “At the European level, the Greens must finally abandon their ideology-driven course. Otherwise, we demand that these Greens, who have already been punished by the voters, are not given more consideration than the minimum agreed between the democratic parties in the EU.” In other words: When it comes to committees in the EU Parliament, the Greens should be sidelined.
Night driving ban and SUV driving license: “Crazy proposals”
What does he mean by “ideology-driven” and “paternalistic”? Gniosdorz has an example ready: the much-discussed night-time driving ban for novice drivers and the extra driving license for SUV drivers. The French Green Karima Delli raised these points in the EU Transport Committee in autumn last year. The proposal for an SUV driving license was well received by the European Road Safety Council (ETSC), despite much criticism from other parties. Gniosdorz, however, calls the ideas “crazy proposals”: “They are causing people to lose trust in politics and especially in the institutions of the European Union.”
He sees problems especially with the Greens at the European level: “I have the impression that the party soul of the fundamentalists is more important to them than the interests of the people in Germany and Europe. I cannot explain it any other way than that Foreign Minister Baerbock is promoting the asylum compromise in the Council and the German Greens are subsequently rejecting the CEAS reform in the European Parliament.”
Green MPs against tightening asylum rules
Annalena Baerbock agreed to the reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) a few weeks ago. This involves numerous tightening measures in dealing with asylum seekers in order to limit illegal migration. Baerbock subsequently described this as a difficult decision. The Green group in the EU Parliament, however, spoke out against it. “Such MPs are unreliable and cannot be partners in solving the pressing problems in Europe,” says Kevin Gniosdorz.
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