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EPP (European People Party) on Climate Change

When future historians ask, "Why didn’t people take action to stop the climate crisis when they had known about it for decades?" a prominent part of the answer will be the history of denial and obfuscation by the fossil fuel industry and the ways in which people in positions of power and privilege refused to acknowledge that climate change was a manifestation of a broken economic system. 

And then there is the EPP (European People’s Party) and this 15-year-old spot that did not age well. How can you lie this shamelessly to aspiring young child actors?

Let’s start with that sweet old man in the tram. He is Wilfried Achiel Emma Martens, Belgium’s longest-serving Prime Minister and one of the co-founders of the EPP in 1976. His climate achievements? We cannot find any significant moves on his part. They say he was a guy who did his deals in a "smoky backroom". Mr. Martens died in 2013.

Then there is José Manuel Barroso. He was the European Commission President from 2004 until 2014. Lots of time to show the next generation a change in pollution, transportation, pesticides, chemicals, and well-being. For some moments, we saw a flicker at the end of the tunnel. But it was only a flash in the pan. José was an opportunist and showed in the end his true calling by exiting straight to Goldman Sachs.

And usually, it would be ladies first, but with Dr. Angela Merkel, it is complicated, to say the least. If there is an enigma to the climate crisis, it would be her. When it comes to overpromising and under-delivering after 16 years in power, she deserves the gold medal.

So, in case the EPP likes to put out a new video about fighting climate change, Mrs. Von der Leyen should tell the next generation the truth. Here is a sample:

"Dear kids, only shareholder value counts, achieved through constant acquisitions, mass layoffs, and cost reductions. Politics, especially us in the EPP, have facilitated all of this. 

Every day in Brussels, decisions are made that influence the rules of the game. You have to imagine it like a black box: Lobbyists and campaign donations go in at the front, and rules come out at the back that are good for corporations and the wealthy. 

So, will you still vote EPP when you are old enough?"