Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell apologises for ‘Greta syndrome’ remarks on youth activists
- Foreign policy chief said in television interview that he doubted ‘idea that young people are seriously committed to stopping climate change’
- Veteran Spanish politician, 72, has reputation for making undiplomatic comments
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, apologised on Saturday for dismissive comments about youth climate activists during a television interview, in an about-turn a few months into his role as top EU diplomat.
Borrell recently said on Spanish television that he doubted “the idea that young people are seriously committed to stopping climate change – we could call it the ‘Greta syndrome’”.
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish teen activist who inspired the student-led Fridays for Future movement with her weekly climate strike in front of the Swedish parliament.
The diplomat said people were happy to take to the streets if it cost them nothing, while questioning whether demonstrators were prepared to reduce their quality of life to pay for the high cost of combating climate change.
Climate change is a priority issue for the European Commission, of which Borrell is a vice-president.
