The climate summit is nothing more than political tourism, unsuitable for a meaningful agreement to be reached there, says János Áder. Do the former head of state and Greta Thunberg have something in common? How much would you give to the government's green policy? What about construction sites and battery factories on the shores of Balaton? Interview.
Former president of the republic or green influencer - which title do you feel is closer to you?
The hair on my back stands up at the term influenza. I don't see myself as one, nor do I want to be one. My status: I am a former president of the republic, and I am also the chairman of the board of trustees of the Blue Planet Foundation.
Young people, on the other hand, consider him to be the green flu, and according to a research, his popularity is similar to that of Greta Thunberg. What is it like to be on the same shelf as him?
We play football in a different league, it is not worth comparing the activities of the two of us. Time will tell how useful what he does is. I'm looking for solutions.
In any case, there are a lot of them among young people, what do you think about how important environmental protection is to them?
During my travels around the country, I meet both elementary school and high school students, and I find that they are receptive to the topic. Our presentations are interactive, so it's not about an old squirrel coming in and sharing his wisdom about climate change. The meetings have an informative, knowledge-enhancing character, the goal is to think together.
Last year, 420,000 students participated in the Sustainability theme week supported by the foundation.
If, for one week, so many young people are curious about how to protect the created world and prevent problems that oppress them and affect their generation, it clearly indicates interest.
How do teachers approach the topic?
Absolutely open. Due to our initiative, sustainability has become an optional subject in high schools, and this year students can already graduate from it. The Green Earth textbook was first prepared for high schools, and the version for primary schools is already being written. In addition, an accredited lesson plan and auxiliary materials were created to help the teachers' work, and since sustainability was not included in teacher training before, we considered it important that they receive the additional knowledge needed to teach the subject. That's why we launched a scholarship program so that teachers can deliver the curriculum even more prepared.
The unfair pay of teachers was already on the agenda during his presidency, and it hasn't changed since then, although now a substantive settlement can finally begin. How do you see their situation?
There is no dispute between the political actors regarding the goal. If we look at the statements of government politicians going back years, without exception they admitted that the situation was ripe for settlement. Based on the government's announcement in January, teacher salaries will be doubled by the end of the cycle, i.e. by 2026, and in light of this, a significant increase is already being implemented this year.
Four years ago, the government took a big breath in the healthcare sector, first solving the salary increase for doctors, and then partly for skilled workers - there had never been such a salary increase in the sector before.
I do not dispute that this did not eliminate all problems at once, but it was an important step. I hope for at least such a successful wage increase for teachers as well.
