Populist Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson has criticised 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg, claiming she and her movement were the creation of a public relations agency.

The populist leader made his comments earlier this week on Swedish television, remarking he respected the commitment of the 16-year-old activist but said he did not think her movement would lead to meaningful change, saying she was “just a child,” Swedish newspaper Expressen reports.

Åkesson also criticised the protest that made Thunberg a worldwide name which involved Swedish students staging a school walk out saying, “I think you can do more in school. She should go to school.”

He also questioned the authenticity of the 16-year-old’s movement saying it was all a “staged promotional campaign” and adding that he believed it was “greatly known” that “there is a PR agency” behind the entire movement.

Social Democrat Social Insurance Minister Annika Strandhäll took exception to Åkesson’s remarks saying, “That a Swedish party leader sits on television and attacks a 16-year-old climate activist who is committed to a better world for our children and grandchildren is shameful.”

Delingpole: Britain Should Be Celebrating Donald Trump – Not Brainwashed Eco-Brat Greta Thunberg https://t.co/zB7Z0WVoSp — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 24, 2019

Greta Thunberg also hit back against the populist leader saying, “There is no single organisation or person behind me. Everyone is behind me — everyone who is involved in the climate crisis. Just as I stand behind them. We support each other. There has never been anyone who told me what to do or what to say.”

Åkesson is not the first person to come out as critical of the teen who recently met with Pope Francis and several prominent UK politicians in the last two weeks.

Breitbart London’s James Delingpole has also been highly critical of the activist calling her a “brainwashed child in pig-tails pushing a hard-left, anti-capitalist agenda which will drive up energy prices, hamper industry with taxes and regulations, destroy jobs, cause the poor and elderly to die in fuel poverty, enrich crony capitalists, and spread lies and fear and fake news about a non-existent problem.”