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.[8][9] 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.[10][11]
Charter
According to its charter,[12] 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.[13]
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.[14][15][16] Similarly, activists in Britain's Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament would eventually form the Ecology Party.[17][18][19] However, it also brought in ecological movements, which had become active across Western European nations in the 1970s.[6][20] Environmental groups became especially political after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, which strengthened groups such as the Italian Green Party.[21] In the Netherlands, feminists dominated GroenLinks party.[13] 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.[22] 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:[22]
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.[23] At the convention, 32 Green parties from across Europe joined this new pan-European party.[10][24] As such, the European Greens became a trans-national party, and the very first European political party.[25][24]
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.[27]
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'.[28] The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament obtained 50 seats in total.[29]
By 2023, The Economist analysed that "the policies espoused by environmentalists sit squarely at the centre of today's political agenda".[36]
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".[37] 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[39] and the turning point of the 2024 election campaign.[40] 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.[41]
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.[42]
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.
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.[46]
↑ 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.
↑ 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.
↑ 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.
1 2 On 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.
1 2 Fücks, 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. ISBN978-1-032-37639-4.
↑ Zelko, Frank; Brinkmann, Carolin, eds. (2006). Green Parties: reflections on the first three decades. Heinrich Böll Foundation North America.
↑ 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. ISBN1-873557-08-6.
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