– What Unge Høyre has revealed is that such extreme rhetoric may not be accepted by all of the younger generation, says Unge Høre member and city councilor Aleksander Abelsen.

Months before the final municipal elections in 2019, the streets are flooded with school children who have followed the example of Swedish environmental activist Gretha Thunberg and dropped out of school to go on a climate strike.

Four years later, it was clear Tuesday night that the Conservative Party nationwide had done very well in this year’s school elections. Young Conservative leader Ola Svenneby commented on this statement.

– I think we can at least say Greta Thunberg’s generation has died.

– Young people have been told that they should be left-wing

This caused several people to lash out on social media. Former leader of SV Audun Lysbakken, among other things, stated that “anti-climate change has become an issue of mobilizing right-wing groups in the midst of the climate crisis” is very wild.

The Leader of the Young Conservatives was self-critical of his remarks on Wednesday morning and stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the statement was not really about the climate, but about young people whose values ​​are not being represented well enough among them. another thing, the media.

Emil Røgeberg, regional leader at Østfold Unge Høyre said the same thing as Svenneby.

– It’s not about the climate, which he himself commented on. This is due more to the fact that the younger generation has been told, among other things, by the media that they must lean towards the left. I believe the results of the school election show that today’s younger generation is much more conservative. They got tired of being told how to live and they embraced the right wing, says Røgeberg.

– It’s not about the climate

– I don’t think it’s about the climate. But we are told by the media to worry about it, he continued.

– Isn’t the climate important for today’s young generation?

– Climate is always relevant in all debates. But if I were to interpret what Ola said, we’re done being told what to think. This is finally understandable, says Røgeberg.

– What issues are important to young people when the Conservative Party has done so well, do you think? No air conditioning?

– I must be careful to determine how important the climate is for young people. But the things we think matter in this debate are schools and finances – simply, how you feel in your everyday life, says Røgeberg.

Would use another word

Aleksander Abelsen firmly believes that young people, including those who vote Conservative, are concerned about the climate – and believes this is the rhetoric Svenneby meant when he refers to the Gretha Thunberg generation.

– I think young people are more optimistic than that. I understand that most of those who are active are of the opinion that if we find the right solution, doomsday will not be as close as previously announced. We are more optimistic that we can bring about change through technology. The fact that young people are concerned about the climate has not been lost. This is one of the most important issues, also at Unge Høyre, said Abelsen.

– But is that a wise statement?

– I guess I’d say like Erna Solberg that I wouldn’t use those exact words. But I think it’s very good for a lot of young people to hear that the world is moving forward, that we have solutions and will find more solutions.

– There are lots of floods and extreme heat at the moment – shouldn’t we be worried?

– Of course you have to, but it’s no use to anyone if you worry so much that you become paralyzed. If you want to create a better world, you can’t just chain yourself to things and protest, Abelsen said.

Disagree that his rhetoric is pessimistic

Simon Laabak, 22, a city council representative for Ap and one of the youths of the “left”, believes Svenneby’s remarks to be very stupid.

– Personally, I think it’s a good thing if the younger generation cares about the climate and the environment, but I think he has already apologized, so I shouldn’t be too harsh, said Laabak.

He was a little doubtful of Abelsen’s statement stating that this was more of a settlement with pessimistic rhetoric than that the climate issue was dead.

– I’m not sure if I agree with the premise that this is pessimistic rhetoric. What I saw in 2019 was 500–600 committed students from elementary through high school who were passionate about doing something about climate issues. That protests or strikes that should be pessimistic must be borne by them. I see hope for the future, said Laabak.