Shortly before the EU election, the German YouTube star Rezo has alarmed the parties with angry video clips. In it he expressed sharp criticism of Germany’s climate policy and called for neither CDU, CSU, SPD nor AFD to vote. The fan base of the otherwise little-politically active YouTubers is large, and Union and SPD are already afraid of major losses in the EU election.
With an almost one-hour video entitled „The Destruction of the CDU,“ „Rezo ja lol ey“ reached nearly ten million seers within six days. The 26-year-old, whose trademark is blue-dyed hair, has been shooting music and comedy videos on two channels since 2015 and is one of the most successful YouTube creators in Germany. His video about the CDU made him known throughout Germany and beyond.
In the video he accused the CDU of destroying „our life and our future“. In climate change, the coalition is idle and make politics for the rich. The climate goals were not met, he complained: „Set goals and not comply is something for people who want to lose weight.“
CDU boss plagued
The video quickly caught the attention of high politics. CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said: „I was wondering why we are not actually responsible for the seven plagues that were in Egypt back then.“ On Friday, two days before the EU election, Rezo resigned again after. On his YouTube channel, a nearly three-minute new video appeared in which dozens of other YouTubers with the 26-year-old solidarized.
They read an explanation that could also be seen as text below the video. Among other things, it said: „Do not vote for the CDU / CSU, do not vote for the SPD. Do not choose any other party that does so little in the sense of logic and science, and destroys our future according to scientific consensus. And certainly does not choose the AfD, which even denies this consensus. „Attached was a list of more than 70 signatories, including some of the widest reaching YouTube creators in Germany. Other parties besides CDU, CSU, SPD and AfD were not mentioned in the statement.
Call invitation without answer
Above all, Union and SPD came on the defensive. „Whether it’s on YouTube or elsewhere, climate protection affects us all,“ says Kramp-Karrenbauer to T-online.de. Katarina Barley, the EU’s leading SPD candidate, said that „the SPD was not attacked as a party, it was the coalition.“ She thinks it’s good „that the young people speak and articulate.“ In a coalition, however, compromises have to be made.
Both major parties sent a call to Rezo, but received no answer. „We have reached your criticism,“ said SPD Secretary General Lars Klingbeil in a separate video. At first the CDU had reacted dismissively and struggled for a long time with the question of how to respond to the video. Finally Secretary General Paul Ziemiak invited Rezo to a conversation.
The AfD reacted calmly: „In ten years, the creators who have made it to a real job, a family and maybe even a condominium, the AFD,“ said a dpa party spokesman.
Experts see potential effect
Several political scientists and political consultants rated the million-clicked video as a serious risk to the CDU. Political scientist Stefan Heumann told the dpa that although the video would not change resolute CDU voters, it could lead to a mobilization boost for boys in the European elections. In addition, the video was also taken up by mass media, it not only reach voters in the network. The political advisor and blogger Martin Fuchs told the dpa, young people complained above all irreverent reactions and did not feel taken seriously.
EU election brings probably losses
Union and SPD are heading for big losses in Sunday’s election. The parties of the grand coalition in Germany could bring their worst result so far with European elections. The Greens, however, are heading for a record result and could become the second strongest party, and the AfD should also outperform the election in 2014.
For the SPD on Sunday it is also about their homeland Bremen: Here also the citizenship election takes place. If the Social Democrats lose Bremen, „it does not take much imagination to imagine that this will fuel the discussion about remaining in the Grand Coalition at the federal level,“ according to the German newspaper Tagesschau.
