The European Green Party (EGP), also referred to as European Greens, is a transnational, European political party representing national parties from across Europe who share Green values.
The European Greens was the first party to form out of various national movements to become a European entity, committed to the integration of Europe.[4][5] The party aims to amplify the views of member parties by having common policy positions, mutual election manifestos, and cohesive European election campaigns. The European Greens also has networks which brings Green politicians together, such as the Local Councillors Network.[6][7]
Charter
According to its charter,[8] the European Greens is working towards a just and sustainable transition towards societies "respectful of human rights and built upon the values of environmental responsibility, freedom, justice, diversity and non-violence". The charter’s guiding principles provide a framework for the political actions taken by member parties.
The priorities outlined in the charter include protecting human health and wellbeing, maintaining biological diversity, combatting global warming, transitioning to a just and sustainable economy, strengthening inclusive democracies, safeguarding diversity, and ensuring social justice.
History
Green politics in Europe emerged from several grassroots political movements, including the peace movements, the ecology movement and movements for women's rights.[9]
The Anti-nuclear movement in Germany first had political expression as Vereinigung Die Grünen, which formed in March 1979, and established itself as a party for the European Parliament in January 1980.[10][11][12] Similarly, activists in Britain's Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament would eventually form the Ecology Party.[13][14][15] However, it also brought in ecological movements, which had become active across Western European nations in the 1970s.[2][16] Environmental groups became especially political after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, which strengthened groups such as the Italian Green Party.[17] In the Netherlands, feminists dominated GroenLinks party.[9] Elements of all these national parties would go on to form the European Green Party.
Representatives from these and other parties sat in the European Parliament after the 1984 European Parliament election.[18] The following 11 members of this grouping, which was briefly known as the Rainbow Group, came from parties which went on to be part of the European Greens:[18]
The European Green Party itself was officially founded at the 4th Congress of the European Federation of Green Parties on 20–22 February 2004 in Rome.[19] At the convention, 32 Green parties from across Europe joined this new pan-European party.[6][20] As such, the European Greens became a trans-national party, and the very first European political party.[21][20]
In the 2004 European Parliament election, member parties won 35 Seats and the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament secured 43 in total.[22]
In the 2009 European Parliament election, even though the European Parliament was reduced in size, the European Greens' member parties won 46 seats, the best result of the Green Parties in 30 years. The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament secured 55 seats in total.[23]
In the 2014 European Parliament election the Green candidates were José Bové and Ska Keller. These elections marked the first time there were primaries including Spitzenkandidaten] at the European elections, which allows Europeans to not only vote for who should represent them in the European Parliament, but also help to decide who should lead the European Commission. In May they presented a common programme including the Green New Deal at the launch of the European Greens' campaign which called for "a new direction of economic policy aimed at reducing our carbon footprint and improving our quality of life". The slogan of the campaign was 'Change Europe, vote Green'.[24] The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament obtained 50 seats in total.[25]
The candidates for the 2019 European Parliament election were Ska Keller and Bas Eickhout, who campaigned for climate protection, a social Europe, more democracy and stronger rule of law.[26] That year, the Greens made the strongest ever showing across Europe,[27] in part due to rising public awareness about climate change[28] and the impact of youth movements for climate. The strongest surge was in Germany as Alliance 90/The Greens replaced the centre-left Social Democratic Party of Germany as the second-strongest party.[29] The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament obtained 74 seats in total.[30] The Greens' results signified a new balance of power[31] as the European People's Party (EPP) and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) lost their majority.
By 2023, The Economist analysed that "the policies espoused by environmentalists sit squarely at the centre of today’s political agenda".[32]
Terry Reintke and Bas Eickhout were elected by the European Greens to be lead candidates for the 2024 European Parliament election. The campaign ran under the slogan "Choose Courage". .[33] They were elected by more than 300 delegates at an Extended Congress in Lyon, France in February 2024. The campaign is focused on a Green and Social Deal, and the fight against the rise of the Far Right in Europe.
Numerous analyses in European quality media consider this as a win for the Greens [35] the turning point of the 2024 election campaign.[36] The European Greens criticised heavily that von der Leyen, as incumbent president of the European Commission and lead candidate for the EPP, opened the door to collaboration with the far-right.
The European Green Party is a European political party, constituted out of political parties from European countries. Parties can also become associate members. Members of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament not belonging to a member party can be admitted as a special member with speaking rights but no vote.
The governing bodies of the EGP are the Council and the Committee.[37]
The Council takes place twice a year and is the main decision-making body of the European Greens and consists of delegates of member parties. During Councils, delegates from European Greens parties set a common political direction, linked to the development of the European project and its values. They do so by debating and vote on resolutions on key issues in Europe. Delegates are allotted based on their most recent European or national election results. Each party has at least two delegates. consists of delegates of member parties. These are allotted on the basis of their most recent European or national election results. Each party has at least two delegates.[38]
The Committee consists of nine members, including two Co-Chairs (one man and one woman), a Secretary General and a Treasurer. They are responsible for daily political affairs, execution of the Council's decisions and the activities of the EGP office and staff. Co-Chairs Thomas Waitz and Mélanie Vogel, Secretary General Benedetta De Marte, Treasurer Ute Michel, and Committee Members Vula Tsetsi, Sibylle Steffan, Małgorzata Tracz, Rasmus Nordqvist and Mina Jack Tolu were elected at the 35th European Green Party in Riga, Latvia. The EGP has had several Co-Chairs.
Co-chairs of the European Greens
The Congress is an enlarged meeting of the Council which is convened by the Council at least once every 5 years and hosts more delegates.
Networks
The EGP hosts a collection of networks that have specific special interest focus, including:[39]
The table below shows the results of the Greens in each election to the European Parliament, in terms of seats and votes. It also shows how many European Commissioners the European Greens have, and who led the parliamentary group. It also lists how the Green parliamentary group and supra-national organisations was named and what European parliamentary group they joined.[42]
Current electoral standing
Current political representation in European institutions
^The number of MEPs listed below may not match the total number of MEPs of the European party, as it does not include MEPs who join as individual members.
^All seats for French and German-speaking Communities in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, including seats for bilingual Brussels.
^The Irish Green Party operates also in Northern Ireland as the "Green Party in Northern Ireland". The Northern Irish party is separately listed in this table although it does not have separate membership in the EGP.
^includes 6 independent MEPs elected for the Europe Écologie group
^Includes 14 MEPs, from 8 countries, NOT affiliated with EGP member parties.
^The Irish Green Party operates also in Northern Ireland as the "Green Party in Northern Ireland". The Northern Irish party is separately listed in this table although it does not have separate membership in the EGP.
^Esquerra Verda is member party of Catalunya en Comú.
References
^Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "European Union". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
^ a bTatiana, Rovinskaya (2015). "Greens in Europe: Incremental Growth". World Economy and International Relations. 59 (12): 58–71. doi:10.20542/0131-2227-2015-59-12-58-71. ISSN 0131-2227.
^Henley, Jon; correspondent, Jon Henley Europe (28 May 2019). "European elections: triumphant Greens demand more radical climate action". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
^Keating, Joshua (3 June 2019). "An Answer to Climate Change—and the Far Right". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
^Heyman, Taylor (17 September 2019). "Green wave could change the balance of power in European Parliament". The National. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
^ a b"About". European Greens. 9 May 2023.
^"Join Local Councillors Network". Local Councillors Network.
^ a bFücks, Ralf, ed. (2008). Green identity in a changing Europe. Brussels: Heinrich Böll Stiftung (published October 2008).
^Franceschini, Georgio (2024). Kühn, Ulrich (ed.). Germany and nuclear weapons in the 21st century: atomic Zeitenwende?. Routledge global security studies. Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY: Routledge. p. 182. ISBN 978-1-032-37639-4.
^Zelko, Frank; Brinkmann, Carolin, eds. (2006). Green Parties: reflections on the first three decades. Heinrich Böll Foundation North America.
^"The History of Alliance 90/The Greens | Heinrich Böll Stiftung". www.boell.de. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^Haq, Gary; Paul, Alistair (1 March 2013). Environmentalism since 1945. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-63654-7.
^"The big divide: is ideology holding back greens from embracing nuclear power?". theecologist.org. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^Wall, Derek (1994). Weaving a Bower Against Endless Night: an illustrated history of the UK Green Party [published March 1994 to mark the 21st anniversary of the party]. Green Party. ISBN 1-873557-08-6.
^"Ideas, actors and political practices in the environmental history of Europe | EHNE". ehne.fr. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^"Nuclear Power, No Thanks! The Aftermath of Chernobyl in Italy and the Nuclear Power Referendum of 1987". Environment & Society Portal. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^ a b"The Green Party in the European Parliament – Taking Stock | Heinrich Böll Stiftung". www.boell.de. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^"European Greens Found European Greens – DW – 02/23/2004". dw.com. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^ a bHENDRICK, Annette (August 2014). European Green Party 1981-2009 (PDF). Etopia (published 2014).
^"Bittersweet victories: The European Greens and the elections of 2021 | Heinrich Böll Stiftung | Brussels office - European Union". eu.boell.org. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^In Europe, green policies rule while green politicians struggle, The Economist, 7 December 2023
^"European Greens field Terry Reintke and Bas Eickhout as top candidates ('Spitzenkandidaten') for EU elections". European Greens. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
^Wax, Eddy (30 April 2024). "Von der Leyen opens the door to Europe's hard right". Politico. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
^Mathiesen, Karl (29 April 2024). "Greens lionized by Europe's young voters at EU presidential debate". POLITICO. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
^Infobae, Newsroom (24 May 2024). "Scholz defiende que la Comisión Europea no debería contar con apoyo de la extrema derecha el próximo mandato". Infobae. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
^"Statutes of the European Green Party" (PDF). europeangreens.eu. 20 May 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
^"EGP Rule Book" (PDF). europeangreens.eu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
^"Networks". European Greens. 27 September 2023.
^"European Green Party supports Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony". European Green Party. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
^ a b"Adopted Annex B - EGP Membership List - 37th EGP EoCongress, Vienna 3 June 2023" (PDF). European Greens. European Green Party. p. 24. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
^"Directory". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
^"Results of the 2014 European elections – European Parliament". results-elections2014.eu. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
^"2019 European Parliament election in Portugal", Wikipedia, 12 June 2023, retrieved 19 October 2023
^"2022 Portuguese legislative election", Wikipedia, 8 August 2023, retrieved 19 October 2023
^ a bOn 2 July 2020, former ICV members announced the founding of a new party and that it would be part of the En Comú Podem, with David Cid, Marta Ribas and Ernest Urtasun being members of the new party.
External links
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