Greta Thunberg convicted: the royal we strikes again

Greta Thunberg convicted: the royal we no longer saves her

Why do activists who believe they are the voice of a generation end up speaking on behalf of everyone? Last week, Greta Thunberg was convicted by a Swedish court after a new act of civil disobedience. The young activist, who rose to fame with her "how dare you" speech at the United Nations, is once again at the center of controversy, but this time for her repeated use of the first person plural: "we," "the youth," "our struggle." A rhetoric that, according to her critics, hides a messianic narcissism.

The conviction and the reaction
The ruling, which is not yet final, has sparked a chorus of mixed reactions. While some see her as a martyr who will get out of jail in three months to become president of Sweden, others believe her relevance is deflating: "just wait until she sets foot in jail and everyone forgets about her," some have said. The truth is that Thunberg has been arrested on multiple occasions, and her message increasingly sounds like a broken record.

The royal we as a mechanism of power
It is no coincidence that messianic leaders use "we" to erase dissent. By speaking on behalf of everyone, they shield themselves from criticism: whoever opposes them is not opposing a person, but "the cause." Thunberg, who began as a lonely teenager outside the Swedish Parliament, ended up becoming a global brand that speaks for a generation that never voted for her. The ironies of activism.

The lingering doubt
Will anyone remember her name in five years? The fact is, convicted or not, Greta has already achieved something few manage: making everyone have an opinion about her. The rest is noise.