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Green Irentity in a Changing Europe

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Green Irentity in a Changing Europe UROPE E G IN G AN H GREEN IDENTITY IN A CHANGING EUROPE In 1984 a colourful mixture of Belgians, Germans, Italians position themselves within the political spectrum and gain and Dutch, known as the Green Alternative European Link the trust of the electorates. (GRAEL) formed the first Green group in the European Parliament. Since then a lot has happened. An increasing We have invited authors from eight European countries to GREEN IDENTITY IN A C number of countries have seen Green parties gain parli- write about the identity and ambitions of the Green parties amentary experience, in the course of which they have in their home countries. What factors have influenced indi- moved from being a protest party to one pursuing concrete vidual Green party development? How have they adapted to change based on targeted reform. these influences and what are their future prospects? From the original Euro-Greens, who were part of the first “chaotic” In Western Europe, green ideas have found their way into Green group that entered the European Parliament in 1984 the political and social mainstream. New political identities we wanted to know: What did Green politics mean at that have emerged and in many countries there have been tect- time and how do they now perceive the results and future onic political shifts as the Greens have moved from being prospects of their policies? Finally, we asked some of the an anti-establishment party to one ready and able to take younger generation how they view this record and what they on the responsibility of government. In the new democracies would like to see in the future. The answers to these quest- in Central and Eastern Europe Green parties are still a new ions can be found here. element in the political landscape and often find it hard to Heinrich Böll Foundation EU Regional Office Brussels 15 Rue d’Arlon – B-1050 Brussels – Belgium T +32 2 743 41 00 F (+32) 2 743 41 09 E [email protected] – www.boell.be GREEN IDENTITY IN A CHANGING EUROPE Heinrich Böll Stiftung Published by the Heinrich Böll Stiftung EU Regional Office Brussels Printed in Belgium, October 2008 © The authors and the Heinrich Böll Stiftung EU Regional Office Brussels All rights reserved English proof-reading and language editing: Cheryllyn Humphries, Sebastian Duwe, Sebastian Seiffert Translations from German: Margaret Cameron Translations from Dutch and French: www.oneliner.be Translation from Polish: Katarzyna Nowakowska Final editing: Marianne Ebertowski Production: Micheline Gutman Cover picture: Vladislav Susoy © shutterstock / Skocko © shutterstock The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) alone. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung. This publication can be ordered at: Heinrich Böll Stiftung EU Regional Office Brussels 15 Rue d’Arlon B-1050 Brussels Belgium P (+32) 2 743 41 00 F (+32) 2 743 41 09 E [email protected] W www.boell.be FOREWORD 4 PART ONE Between Struggle for Existence and Ministerial Posts: the National Tales 7 1. Melanie Haas: The German Greens: Past, Present and Future 8 2. Sergio Andreis: Have We Created a Monster? The Rise and Fall of the Italian Greens 22 3. Benoît Lechat: Ecolo, an Evergreen Story at the Heart of Europe 28 4. Johan Malcorps: Groen! – A Tale of Falling Down and Getting Up Again 39 5. Tommy Simpson: From Pressure Group to Government Partner – The Irish Way 52 6. Pekka Haavisto: The Greens in Finland – From Grassroots to Government 60 7. Veiko Spolitis: Taking Root in Unfertile Soil: the Growth of the Estonian Green Parties 66 8. Šádí Shanaáh: The Czech Green Party: Brief Success or Lasting Presence? 72 9. Agnieszka Grzybek and Dariusz Szwed: Zieloni 2004 – Scenes From a Long March 80 PART TWO The Greening of the European Project 89 The Way We Were… 90 10. Bram van der Lek: Intrusion of a Motley Crew: the First Green Group in the 90 European Parliament 11. Frieder Otto Wolf: Magic Moments From the Past 95 12. Ali Yurttagül: Migration, Asylum, Civil Rights and Minorities 97 13. Annette Görlich, Margret Krannich and Annemiek Onstenk: 99 Breaking New Ground – The Women’s Bureau 14. Barbarita Schreiber: Dogged Workers for Sustainable Solutions 101 15. Hannes Lorenzen: Green Agricultural Policy – The Perennial Battle 103 … the Future as We See It 111 16. Bartek Lech: Ready for a Bumpy Ride 111 17. Judith Verweijen: Recipes From the Young Green Kitchen 117 18. Reinhard Bütikofer: As Greens We Need Europe and Europe Needs Us 122 4 FOREWORD The Greens, a Force for Europe it hard to position themselves within the political spectrum and gain the trust of the electorates. For The German Greens first fielded candidates the most part, Green parties play only a marginal nation-wide in the 1979 European Parliament role in the new democracies insofar they exist at elections. The Sonstige Politische Vereinigung DIE all. In contrast, however, the Greens are part of GRÜNEN, polling 3.25% of the vote, surprised centre-right governments in the Czech Republic everybody and this was a decisive factor in the and Latvia, as is the case in Finland and Ireland. founding of a national party, Die Grünen, the fol- lowing year. Five years later history was made as In Western Europe, especially in Germany, a colourful mixture of Belgians, Germans, Italians France, Belgium and Italy the Greens have al- and Dutch, known as the Green Alternative Euro- ready participated in centre-left coalitions. While pean Link (GRAEL) formed the first Green group the Italian Greens are currently experiencing a in the European Parliament. crisis and need to redefine themselves, the Ger- man Greens have new options that transcend the Since then a lot has happened. An increasing old political camps. They can join: a “traffic light” number of countries have seen Green parties gain coalition with the Social Democrats or Liberals; a parliamentary experience, in the course of which “Jamaican flag” coalition with the Christian Dem- they have moved from being a protest party to one ocrats and Liberals; a coalition with the Christian pursuing concrete change based on targeted re- Democrats, as in Hamburg; or a left leaning alli- form. Then there was 1989 and the collapse of the ance with Social Democrats and left wing social- communist system. Barely one year later, German ists as aspired to in Hesse. The political spectrum reunification became a reality and by 2004, with has taken on a new pattern and the Greens are the entry of Central European and Baltic states now able to form varied political alliances but into the European Union (EU), the East-West this has brought with it the challenge of having to division of the continent had essentially disap- hone a sharper political profile. peared. The political landscape had fundamen- tally changed – for the Greens as well. Green parties in many countries find them- selves in a process of reorientation. They are In Western Europe, green ideas have now searching for independent and credible answers found their way into the political and social main- to the challenges of globalisation, climate change stream. New political identities have emerged and and the energy crisis. in many countries there have been tectonic politi- cal shifts as the Greens have moved from being an The European Parliament elections in June anti-establishment party to one ready and able to 2009 will be a new litmus test for the Greens. Given take on the responsibility of government. the different positions of the various Green par- ties in the European Union member states, it will The new democracies in Central and Eastern be difficult, in the short term, for the movement to Europe are still undergoing a transition process blossom into a thriving Europe wide force. There and struggle for political identities. They have bro- is, however, a glimmer of hope. The establishment ken with their communist past and are trying to of the European Green Party in February 2004 align themselves with the political movements in marked an important milestone for the green the “old democracies”, but in many cases the party movement. With their common European Par- system is still fragile and poorly anchored in soci- liament election campaign in 2004, they entered ety. The Green parties, still a new element in the new political territory. This cooperation needs to political landscape of these countries, are finding be continued in the run up to the 2009 European Foreword 5 Parliament elections. The continuing problem of We have invited authors from eight European failure to agree EU reform as proposed in the Lis- countries to write about the identity and ambi- bon Treaty has slowed the Union in its tracks. The tions of the Green parties in their countries. What Greens will need to make it clear to their elector- factors have influenced individual Green party ates why it is so important to support the Euro- development? How have they adapted to these pean project. influences and what are their future prospects? We have also asked for contributions from some One major European initiative could be the of the original Euro-Greens, who were part of the proposal of former EU Commissioner, Michaele first “chaotic” Green group that entered the Euro- Schreyer for a European Community for Renew- pean Parliament in 1984. What did Green politics able Energy (ERENE). There are other issues, how- mean at that time and how do they now perceive ever, that could also form an important part of the the results and future prospects of their policies? Green political agenda: the expansion of the EU’s Finally, we asked some of the younger generation enlargement process; the democratisation of the how they view this record and what they would European institutions; migration policy; the pro- like to see in the future.
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