European Green Party

European Green Party
Abbreviation	EGP
President	Mélanie Vogel (FR) Thomas Waitz (AT)
Secretary-General	Benedetta De Marte (IT)
Founded	21 February 2004 (2004-02-21)
Preceded by	European Federation of Green Parties
Headquarters	Rue du Taciturne 34, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Think tank	Green European Foundation
Youth wing	Young European Greens
Ideology	Green politics Pro-Europeanism
Political position	Centre-left to left-wing
European Parliament group	Greens–European Free Alliance
International affiliation	Global Greens
Colours	Green
European Parliament	39 / 720
European Council	0 / 27
European Commission	1 / 27
Website
europeangreens.eu
Politics of European Union Political parties Elections

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 works closely with the Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) parliamentary group in the European Parliament which is formed by elected Green party members along with the European Free Alliance, European Pirate Party and Volt Europa. The European Greens' partners include its youth wing the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG), the Green European Foundation (GEF) and the Global Greens family.

Green parties are in government in seven countries in Europe: Austria (The Greens), Belgium (Groen and Ecolo), Bulgaria (Green Movement), Germany (Alliance 90/The Greens), the Republic of Ireland (Green Party), Latvia (The Progressives) and Montenegro (United Reform Action), Poland, (Zieloni/Civic Coalition) Spain (Catalunya en Comú / Sumar).

Ideology and positions

The European Greens have committed themselves to the basic tenets of Green politics as seen across Western Europe, namely environmental responsibility, climate action, individual freedom, inclusive democracy, diversity, social justice, gender equality, global sustainable development and non-violence.

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. 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.

Charter

According to its charter, 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.

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. Similarly, activists in Britain's Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament would eventually form the Ecology Party. However, it also brought in ecological movements, which had become active across Western European nations in the 1970s. Environmental groups became especially political after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, which strengthened groups such as the Italian Green Party. In the Netherlands, feminists dominated GroenLinks party. 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. 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:

• 1 Agalev MEP and 1 Ecolo MEP from Belgium
• 1 Pacifist Socialist MEP and 1 Radicals MEP from the Netherlands
• 7 Grünen MEPs from German

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. At the convention, 32 Green parties from across Europe joined this new pan-European party. As such, the European Greens became a trans-national party, and the very first European political party.

In the 2004 European Parliament election, member parties won 35 Seats and the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament secured 43 in total.

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.

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'. The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament obtained 50 seats in total.

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. That year, the Greens made the strongest ever showing across Europe, in part due to rising public awareness about climate change 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. The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament obtained 74 seats in total. The Greens' results signified a new balance of power 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".

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". . 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.

At the 2024 Maastricht Debate, organised by Politico and the University of Maastricht, European Green top candidate Bas Eickhout asked directly to Ursula von der Leyen, top candidate of the European People's Party, what her position was towards the far right in Europe, European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Identity and Democracy. Von der Leyen told the audience that a collaboration with the ECR “depends very much on how the composition of the Parliament is, and who is in what group.”

Numerous analyses in European quality media consider this as a win for the Greens the turning point of the 2024 election campaign. 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.

Organisational structure

Ulrike Lunacek, ex vice-president of the European Parliament and Michaele Schreyer, the only Green European Commission member so far

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.

Alice Bah Kuhnke, Deputy chairwoman of the Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) group in the European Parliament.

The governing bodies of the EGP are the Council and the Committee.

• 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.
• 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

Mandate	Co-chairs	Member party	Years	Secretary General	Council election
May 2022 –	Mélanie Vogel	EELV	05/2022 – present	Benedetta De Marte	Riga, Latvia, November 2022
	Thomas Waitz	Die Grünen	05/2022 – present
Nov 2019 – May 2022	Evelyne Huytebroeck	Ecolo	11/2019 – 05/2022	Mar Garcia	Tampere, Finland, November 2019
	Thomas Waitz	Die Grünen	11/2019 – 05/2022
Nov 2015 – Nov 2019	Monica Frassoni	Federazione dei Verdi	11/2015 – 11/2019	Mar Garcia	Lyon, France, November 2015
	Reinhard Bütikofer	Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen	11/2015 – 11/2019
Nov 2012 – Nov 2015	Monica Frassoni	Federazione dei Verdi	11/2012 – 11/2015	Jacqueline Cremers (until end 2014) Mar Garcia (from January 2015)	Athens, Greece, November 2012
	Reinhard Bütikofer	Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen	11/2012 – 11/2015
Oct 2009 – Nov 2012	Monica Frassoni	Federazione dei Verdi	10/2009 – 11/2012	Jacqueline Cremers	Malmö, Sweden, October 2009
	Philippe Lamberts	Ecolo	10/2009 – 11/2012
May 2006 – Oct 2009	Ulrike Lunacek	Die Grünen	05/2006 – 10/2009	Juan Behrend	Helsinki, Finland, May 2006
	Philippe Lamberts	Ecolo	05/2006 – 10/2009
May 2003 – May 2006	Grazia Francescato	Federazione dei Verdi	05/2003 – 05/2006	Arnold Cassola	Saint Andrews, Malta, May 2003
	Pekka Haavisto	Vihreä Liitto	05/2003 – 05/2006

• 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:

• Balkan Network
• Mediterranean Network
• Gender Network
• European Queer Greens
• Local Councillors Networks
• European Green Disability Network
• European Network of Green Seniors

Partnerships

• Federation of Young European Greens
• Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament
• Global Greens
• Green European Foundation

Membership

  States with member parties

  States with associate parties

  States with candidate parties

Full members

Country		Name	MEPs	National MPs	Government status
Albania		Green Party of Albania	Not in EU	0 / 140	Extra-parliamentary
Austria		The Greens – The Green Alternative	3 / 18	26 / 183	Government
Belgium	Flemish	Groen	1 / 12	8 / 102	Government
	French German	Ecolo	2 / 9	13 / 63	Government
Bulgaria		Green Movement	0 / 17	0 / 240	Extra-parliamentary
Croatia		We Can!	1 / 12	10 / 151	Opposition
Cyprus		Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation	0 / 6	2 / 56	Opposition
Czech Republic		Green Party	0 / 22	0 / 200	Extra-parliamentary
Denmark		Green Left	2 / 13	15 / 179	Opposition
Estonia		Estonian Greens	0 / 7	0 / 101	Extra-parliamentary
Finland		Green League	3 / 14	13 / 200	Opposition
France		Europe Ecology – The Greens	11 / 74	16 / 577	Opposition
Georgia		Greens Party of Georgia	Not in EU	0 / 150	Extra-parliamentary
Germany		Alliance 90/The Greens	21 / 96	118 / 736	Government
Greece		Ecologist Greens	0 / 21	0 / 300	Extra-parliamentary
Hungary		LMP – Hungary's Green Party (suspended)	0 / 21	5 / 199	Opposition
Ireland		Green Party	2 / 13	12 / 160	Government
Italy		Green Europe	4 / 76	6 / 400	Opposition
	South Tyrol	Greens	0 / 76	0 / 400	Extra-parliamentary
Latvia		The Progressives	0 / 8	10 / 100	Government
Lithuania		Union of Democrats "For Lithuania"	0 / 11	16 / 141	Opposition
Luxembourg		The Greens	1 / 6	4 / 60	Opposition
Malta		AD+PD	0 / 6	0 / 79	Extra-parliamentary
Moldova		Ecologist Green Party	Not in EU	0 / 101	Extra-parliamentary
Montenegro		United Reform Action	Not in EU	4 / 81	Opposition
Netherlands		GroenLinks	3 / 26	13 / 150	Opposition
North Macedonia		Democratic Renewal of Macedonia	Not in EU	1 / 120	Confidence and supply
Norway		Green Party	Not in EU	3 / 169	Opposition
Poland		The Greens	1 / 51	3 / 460	Government
Portugal		LIVRE	0 / 21	4 / 230	Opposition
		Ecologist Party "The Greens"	0 / 21	0 / 230	Extra-parliamentary
Romania		Green Party	0 / 32	0 / 330	Extra-parliamentary
Slovenia		Youth Party – European Greens	0 / 8	0 / 90	Extra-parliamentary
Spain		Greens Equo	0 / 54	0 / 350	Extra-parliamentary
	Catalonia	Green Left	1 / 54	2 / 48	Government
Sweden		Green Party	3 / 20	18 / 349	Opposition
Switzerland		Green Party of Switzerland	Not in EU	28 / 200	Opposition
Ukraine		Party of Greens of Ukraine	Not in EU	0 / 450	Extra-parliamentary
United Kingdom	England Wales	Green Party of England and Wales	Not in EU	4 / 573	Opposition
	Scotland	Scottish Greens		0 / 59	Extra-parliamentary
	Northern Ireland	Green Party in Northern Ireland		0 / 18	Extra-parliamentary
sources

Associate members

Country		Name	MEPs	National MPs	Government status
Azerbaijan		Azerbaijan Green Party	Not in EU	0 / 125	Extra-parliamentary
Croatia		Green Alternative – Sustainable Development of Croatia	0 / 11	0 / 151	Extra-parliamentary
Finland	Åland	Sustainable Initiative	0 / 13	0 / 1	Extra-parliamentary
Hungary		Dialogue – The Greens' Party	0 / 21	6 / 199	Opposition
Portugal		People-Animals-Nature	0 / 21	1 / 230	Opposition
Russia		Union of Greens of Russia	Not in EU	0 / 450	Extra-parliamentary
Slovenia		Vesna – Green Party	0 / 8	0 / 90	Extra-parliamentary
Spain	Catalonia	Catalunya en Comú	1 / 59	5 / 48	Government
Turkey		Green Left Party	Not in EU	57 / 600	Opposition
sources

Former members

Country	Year left	Name	MEPs (current)	National MPs (current)
Belarus	2023	Belarusian Green Party	n/a – defunct
Denmark	2012	De Grønne	n/a – defunct
Hungary	2015	Green Left	n/a – defunct
Latvia	2019	Latvian Green Party	–	4 / 100
Netherlands	2017	The Greens	–	-
Russia	2016	Green Alternative	Not in EU	-
Spain	2012	Confederation of the Greens	–

Electoral standing and political representation

Main article: European Greens election results

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.

Year	MEPs	MEPs %	Votes %	EC	Leaders	EP Subgroup	EP group	Organization
1979	0	0	2.4%	0	none	none	none	Coordination of European Green and Radical Parties
1984	11	2.5%	4.2%	0	Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf (1984–86) Bram van der Lek (1984–86) Brigitte Heinrich (1986) François Roelants du Vivier (1986) Frank Schwalba-Hoth (1986–87) Paul Staes (1987–88) Wilfried Telkämper (1987–89)	Green Alternative European Link	Rainbow Group	European Green Coordination
1989	25	4.8%	7.4%	0	Maria Amelia Santos (1989–90) Alexander Langer (1990) Adelaide Aglietta (1990–94) Paul Lannoye (1990–94)	Green Group in the European Parliament		European Green Coordination
1994	21	3.7%	7.4%	0	Claudia Roth (1994–98), Alexander Langer (1994–95), Magda Aelvoet (1997–99)	Green Group in the European Parliament		European Federation of Green Parties
1999	38	6.1%	7.7%	1	Heidi Hautala (1999–2002), Paul Lannoye (1999–2002), Monica Frassoni (2002–04), Daniel Cohn-Bendit (2002–04)	European Greens	Greens–European Free Alliance	European Federation of Green Parties
2004	35	4.8%	7.3%	0	Monica Frassoni (2004–09), Daniel Cohn-Bendit (2004–09)	European Greens	Greens–European Free Alliance	European Green Party
2009	48	6.2%	7.3%	0	Rebecca Harms (2009–14), Daniel Cohn-Bendit (2009–14)	European Greens	Greens–European Free Alliance	European Green Party
2014	50	6.7%	7.3%	0	Rebecca Harms (2014–2016), Ska Keller (2017– ), Philippe Lamberts (2014– )	European Greens	Greens–European Free Alliance	European Green Party
2019	67	11.4%	10.0%	0	Ska Keller and Bas Eickhout	European Greens	Greens-EFA	European Green Party

Current electoral standing

Country		Name	Votes	Total	Last EU election	Votes	Total	Last national election	Government status
Austria		The Greens – The Green Alternative	532,193	3,834,662	14.1%	664,055	4,835,469	13.9%	Government
Belgium	Flemish	Groen	525,908	6,732,157	7.8%	413,836	6,780,538	6.1%	Government
	French German	Ecolo	492,330		7.2%	416,452		6.1%	Government
Bulgaria		The Greens	EPP	2,015,320	6.1%	EPP	2,658,548	6.3%	Opposition
Croatia		We Can!	44,670	764,089	5.9%	193,051	2,180,411	9.1%	Opposition
Cyprus		Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation	9,232	280,935	3.3%	15,762	357,712	4.4%	Opposition
Czech Republic		Green Party	0	2,370,765	did not compete	53,343	5,375,090	1.0%	Extra-parliamentary
Denmark		Socialist People's Party	364,895	2.758.855	13.2%	272,304	3,569,521	7.7%	Confidence and supply
Estonia		Estonian Greens	5,824	332,104	1.8%	10,226	561,131	1.8%	Extra-parliamentary
Finland		Green League	292,892	1,830,045	16.0%	354,194	3,081,916	11.5%	Government
France		Europe Ecology – The Greens	3,055,023	22,654,164	13.5%	973,527	22,655,174	4.3%	Opposition
Germany		Alliance 90/The Greens	7,677,071	37,396,889	20.5%	6,852,206	46,442,023	14.8%	Government
Greece		Ecologist Greens	49,099	5,656,122	0.9%	0	5,769,542	did not compete	Extra-parliamentary
Hungary		LMP – Hungary's Green Party	75,498	3,470,257	2.2%	404,429	5,732,283	7.1%	Opposition
Ireland		Green Party	190,755	1,678,003	11.4%	155,695	2,183,489	7.1%	Government
Italy		Green Europe	621,492	26,783,732	2.3%	1.071.663	29,172,085	3.6%	Opposition
	South Tyrol								Extra-parliamentary
Luxembourg		The Greens	39.535	217,086	18.9%	32.177	216,177	15.1%	Government
Malta		AD+PD	7,142	260,212	did not compete	0	310,665	did not compete	Extra-parliamentary
Netherlands		GroenLinks	599,283	5,497,813	10.9%	1.643.073	10,432,726	15.75%	TBD (Election)
Poland		The Greens	EPP	13,647,311	38.5%	EPP	18,470,710	27.4%	Opposition
Portugal		Ecologist Party "The Greens"	LEFT	3,314,414	6.9%	LEFT	5,340,890	6.3%	Opposition
		LIVRE	60,575	3,084,505	1.8%	5,417,715	71,232	1.3%
Romania		Green Party	0	9,069,822	did not compete	23,085	5,908,331	0.4%	Extra-parliamentary
Slovenia		Youth Party – European Greens	0	482,075	did not compete	0	891,097	did not compete	Extra-parliamentary
Spain		Equo	0	22,426,066	did not compete	582,306	24,258,228	2.4%	Confidence and supply
	Catalonia	Esquerra Verda	LEFT		Run with UP	0		did not compete	Government
		Catalunya en Comú	LEFT		Run with UP	LEFT		Run with UP	Government
Sweden		Green Party	478,258	4,151,470	11.5%	285,899	6,535,271	4.4%	Government
European Greens			15,061,100	177,624,368	8.48%	12,240,131	214,300,854	5.71%

Current political representation in European institutions

Organisation	Institution	Number of seats
European Union	European Parliament	39 / 720
	European Commission	1 / 27
	European Council (Heads of Government)	0 / 27
	Council of the European Union (Participation in Government)	8 / 27
	Committee of the Regions
Council of Europe	Parliamentary Assembly	3 / 306

See also

• Alter-globalization
• Anti-nuclear movement
• Club of Rome
• Common good (economics)
• Communalism
• Ecofeminism
• Ecological economics
• Environmental movement
• Ethics of care
• Participatory economics
• Political ecology
• Tobin tax
• Universal Basic Income
• Via Campesina

External links

• Official website