Photo: Finn Ethan Killing.
It’s a crazy time for Europe. Far-right parties have won national elections in many of the member states like Poland and Hungary, weekly climate protests are trying to push for environmentalist legislation throughout the continent and the UK is in a sort of Brexit limbo, now looking for a new prime minister to replace Theresa May.
Germany has always played a central role in the European Union and continues to benefit greatly from its free trade agreements. But Berliners still want to see the leadership take action on issues like global warming and the spread of populism. SLEEK went looking under Berlin’s famous TV tower to see what people are actually concerned about when it comes to the European Parliament vote this weekend.
Here’s what they had to say:
Christian 46, Germany
The most important thing right now is that people get out to vote. Voter turnout for the European elections is always so low. We have to show up against the wave of populism that is going across Europe.
Robert 20, Germany
“There are two main issues that are important for me. We need to focus on the environment, because it’s our future, and social equality. I really believe that people should be equal.”
Abdul 29, UK
“Obviously I want to stay in Europe. It’s just normal – they way things have always been. I chose to live in Berlin and I want the freedom to continue to do so.”
Marva 21, Germany
“I just want more transparency. People need to be better informed about what is happening and you can’t really tell from political posters. We need to know what is being decided, what people are speaking about in parliament – and not just after things have been decided.”
Killian 24, Germany
“I am pretty happy with the way things are going in the EU. There are a lot of benefits that we can enjoy from the partnership, like the fact that data volume just got cheaper in the last year. I also think European politicians need to be able to speak English, because you can’t communicate on that level if you don’t. We need to fight against nationalism. It is becoming a big problem.”
Siga 35, Lithuania
“My heart is on the left side of politics. Human rights are the most important issue for me. There is still a lot of racism in Europe. There are a lot of nationalists and radical populists that we need to fight against.”
Karen 68, and Heidi 66, Germany
“There are so many things that need to be considered when you think about the European Elections. Rent control is up there, but the environment is too.” – Karen
“Yes you have to consider the environment, but protecting it is about more than those little cups you throw away.” — Heidi
Lisa, 17, Germany
“For me, the main concern is the climate. It’s like my father says: I want my kids to know what a snowman is and to know what it sounds like when birds are outside your window chirping.”
All photos by Finn Ethan Killing.