112-670: Alliance 90/The Greens (German: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen , pronounced [ˈbʏntnɪs ˈnɔʏntsɪç diː ˈɡʁyːnən] ), often simply referred to as Greens ( Grüne , pronounced [ˈɡʁyːnə] ), is a green political party in Germany . It was formed in 1993 by the merger of the Greens (formed in West Germany in 1980) and Alliance 90 (formed in East Germany in 1990). The Greens had itself merged with
224-462: A gap in the political centre , which was left by the declining popularity of the CDU/CSU and SPD. Green (politics) Green politics , or ecopolitics , is a political ideology that aims to foster an ecologically sustainable society often, but not always, rooted in environmentalism , nonviolence , social justice and grassroots democracy . It began taking shape in the western world in
336-542: A leading figure in the party's Brandenburg branch since 2009. Their election was considered a break with tradition, as they were both members of the moderate wing. The Greens saw a major surge in support during the Bavarian and Hessian state elections in October 2018, becoming the second largest party in both. They subsequently rose to second place behind the CDU/CSU in national polling, averaging between 17% and 20% over
448-408: A member referendum on this question in the spring of 2003 which changed the party statute. Now members of parliament may be elected for two of the six seats of the party executive, as long as they are not ministers or caucus leaders. 57% of all party members voted in the member referendum, with 67% voting in favor of the change. The referendum was only the second in the history of Alliance 90/The Greens,
560-493: A national opinion poll, and the first time in the history of the Federal Republic that any party other than the CDU/CSU or SPD had placed first in a national poll. This trend continued as polls from May to July showed the CDU/CSU and Greens trading first place, after which point the CDU/CSU pulled ahead once more. The Greens continued to poll in the low 20% range into early 2020. The Greens recorded best-ever results in
672-538: A new runway ( Startbahn West ) at Frankfurt Airport . Those who left the party at the time might have felt similarly about some of these issues, but did not identify with the forms of protest that Green party members took part in. After some success at state-level elections, the party won 27 seats with 5.7% of the vote in the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, in the 1983 federal election . Among
784-540: A party conference in January 2022, Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour were elected to succeed them. At the time of her election, Lang was 28 years old, speaker for women's issues, and a former leader of the Green Youth . 46-year-old Nouripour was foreign affairs spokesman and a member of the Bundestag since 2006. Of the new leaders, Lang is considered a representative of the party's left-wing, while Nouripour represents
896-570: A plurality of seats is sufficient to elect a minister-president . So a red-green government in a state where it was defeated under Peer Steinbrück in 2005 came into office again on 14 June 2010 with the election of Hannelore Kraft as minister-president ( Cabinet Kraft I ). The Greens founded the first international chapter of a German political party in the U.S. on 13 April 2008 at the Goethe-Institut in Washington D.C. Its main goal
1008-412: A powerful force in Germany's political system. By 2016, the Greens had joined 11 out of 16 state governments in a variety of coalitions. Over the years, they have built up an informal structure called G-coordination to organize interests between the federal party office, the parliamentary group in the Bundestag, and the Greens governing on the state level. The Greens remained the smallest of six parties in
1120-846: A report. The four Federations of Green Parties issued a message to FARC. Ingrid Betancourt was rescued by the Colombian military in Operation Jaque in 2008. Separately from the Global Green Gatherings, Global Green Meetings take place. For instance, one took place on the fringe of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Green Parties attended from Australia, Taiwan, Korea, South Africa, Mauritius, Uganda, Cameroon, Republic of Cyprus, Italy, France, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Norway,
1232-695: A result, Green Parties all over the world have organized, pressing their governments to bring pressure to bear. For example, Green Parties in African countries, Austria, Canada, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, France, Scotland, Sweden and other countries have launched campaigns calling for Betancourt's release. Bob Brown , the leader of the Australian Greens , went to Colombia, as did an envoy from the European Federation, Alain Lipietz , who issued
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#17327805410711344-570: A single Chancellor candidate. Co-leader Annalena Baerbock was announced as Chancellor candidate on 19 April and formally confirmed on 12 June with 98.5% approval. The Greens surged in opinion polls in late April and May, briefly surpassing the CDU as the most popular party in the country, but their numbers slipped back after Baerbock was caught up in several controversies. Her personal popularity also fell below that of both Armin Laschet and Olaf Scholz ,
1456-472: A single issue where Greens can appeal to ordinary citizens' concerns. In Germany, for example, the Greens' early opposition to nuclear power won them their first successes in the federal elections. There is a growing level of global cooperation between Green parties. Global gatherings of Green Parties now happen. The first Planetary Meeting of Greens was held 30–31 May 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, immediately preceding
1568-621: A state-level Cabinet in 1995. The German Greens followed, forming a government with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (the " Red-Green Alliance ") from 1998 to 2005. In 2001, they reached an agreement to end reliance on nuclear power in Germany, and agreed to remain in coalition and support the German government of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in the 2001 Afghan War . This put them at odds with many Greens worldwide, but demonstrated that they were capable of difficult political tradeoffs. In Latvia, Indulis Emsis , leader of
1680-765: A statement by the US Green Party on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Thirdly, Global Green Gatherings are an opportunity for informal networking, from which joint campaigning may arise. For example, a campaign to protect the New Caledonian coral reef, by getting it nominated for World Heritage Status: a joint campaign by the New Caledonia Green Party, New Caledonian indigenous leaders, the French Green Party , and
1792-727: A variety of sources, from the values of indigenous peoples , to the ethics of Mahatma Gandhi , Baruch Spinoza , and Jakob von Uexküll . These people influenced green thought in their advocacy of long-term seventh generation foresight, and on the personal responsibility of every individual to make moral choices. Unease about adverse consequences of human actions on nature predates the modern concept of environmentalism . Social commentators as far apart as ancient Rome and China complained of air, water and noise pollution . The philosophical roots of environmentalism can be traced back to enlightenment thinkers such as Rousseau in France, and later
1904-449: A vote of confidence, tying it to his strategy on the war. Four Green MPs and one Social Democrat voted against the government, but Schröder was still able to command a majority. On the other hand, the Greens achieved a major success as a governing party through the 2000 decision to phase out the use of nuclear energy. Minister of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Jürgen Trittin reached an agreement with energy companies on
2016-746: Is "to provide a platform for politically active and green-oriented German citizens, in and beyond Washington D.C., to discuss and actively participate in German Green politics. [...] to foster professional and personal exchange, channeling the outcomes towards the political discourse in Germany." In March 2011 (two weeks after the Fukushima nuclear disaster had begun), the Greens made large gains in Rhineland-Palatinate and in Baden-Württemberg . In Baden-Württemberg they became
2128-769: Is a founding member of the European Green Party and the Greens–European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament . It is currently the largest party in the G/EFA group, with 21 MEPs . In the 2019 European election , Alliance 90/The Greens was the second largest party in Germany, winning 20.5% of votes cast. The party had 126,451 members in December 2022, making it the fourth largest party in Germany by membership. The Green Party
2240-410: Is a matter of debate. As the left-wing green political philosophy developed, there also came into separate existence opposite movements on the right-wing that include ecological components such as eco-capitalism and green conservatism . Adherents to green politics tend to consider it to be part of a higher worldview and not simply a political ideology. Green politics draws its ethical stance from
2352-704: Is composed of three representatives from each Green Party. A companion organization was set up by the same resolution: Global Green Coordination (GGC). This is composed of three representatives from each Federation (Africa, Europe, The Americas, Asia/Pacific, see below). Discussion of the planned organization took place in several Green Parties prior to the Canberra meeting. The GGC communicates chiefly by email. Any agreement by it has to be by unanimity of its members. It may identify possible global campaigns to propose to Green Parties worldwide. The GGC may endorse statements by individual Green Parties. For example, it endorsed
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#17327805410712464-438: Is concerned with civil liberties , social justice, nonviolence, sometimes variants of localism and tends to support social progressivism . Green party platforms are largely considered left in the political spectrum . The green ideology has connections with various other ecocentric political ideologies, including ecofeminism , eco-socialism and green anarchism , but to what extent these can be seen as forms of green politics
2576-451: Is considered a threat to well-being, which will replace natural environments and local cultures with a single trade economy, termed the global economic monoculture . This is not a universal policy of greens, as green liberals and green conservatives support a regulated free market economy with additional measures to advance sustainable development . Since green economics emphasizes biospheric health and biodiversity , an issue outside
2688-546: Is crucial that citizens play a direct role in the decisions that influence their lives and their environment. Therefore, green politics seeks to increase the role of deliberative democracy , based on direct citizen involvement and consensus decision making , wherever it is feasible. Green politics also encourages political action on the individual level, such as ethical consumerism , or buying things that are made according to environmentally ethical standards. Indeed, many green parties emphasize individual and grassroots action at
2800-425: Is flexible and seeks to balance social, economic, and environmental interests. The party is strongly pro-European , advocating European federalism , and promotes wider international cooperation, including strengthening existing alliances. Starting from the leadership of Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck , commentators have observed the Greens taking a pragmatic, moderate approach to work with parties from across
2912-413: Is hypocritical to ask for divestment without a boycott and that a boycott would be more effective. Some institutions that are leading by example in the academic area are Stanford University , Syracuse University , Sterling College and over 20 more. A number of cities, counties and religious institutions have also joined the movement to divest. Green politics mostly opposes nuclear fission power and
3024-900: Is not to be confused with the unrelated fact that in some far-right and fascist parties, nationalism has on occasion been tied into a sort of green politics which promotes environmentalism as a form of pride in the "motherland" according to a minority of authors. In June 1970, a Dutch group called Kabouters won 5 of the 45 seats on the Amsterdam Gemeenteraad (City Council), as well as two seats each on councils in The Hague and Leeuwarden and one seat apiece in Arnhem , Alkmaar and Leiden . The Kabouters were an outgrowth of Provo 's environmental White Plans and they proposed "Groene Plannen" ("Green Plans"). The first political party to be created with its basis in environmental issues
3136-605: Is the Irish Green Party 's commitment to the preservation of the Irish Language. Some of the green movement has focused on divesting in fossil fuels. Academics Stand Against Poverty states "it is paradoxical for universities to remain invested in fossil fuel companies". Thomas Pogge says that the fossil fuel divestment movement can increase political pressure at events like the international climate change conference (COP). Alex Epstein of Forbes notes that it
3248-472: The 2016 Austrian presidential election , making him the second green head of state worldwide and the first directly elected by popular vote. Van der Bellen placed second in the election's first round with 21.3% of the vote, the best result for the Austrian Greens in their history. He won the second-round run-off against the far-right Freedom Party 's Norbert Hofer with 53.8% of the votes, making him
3360-591: The Asia-Pacific Green Network . The member parties of the Global Greens are organised into four continental federations: The European Federation of Green Parties formed itself as the European Green Party on 22 February 2004, in the run-up to European Parliament elections in June 2004, a further step in trans-national integration. Green movements are calling for social change to reduce
3472-737: The Australian Greens . Another example concerns Ingrid Betancourt , the leader of the Green Party in Colombia , the Green Oxygen Party ( Partido Verde Oxigeno ). Ingrid Betancourt and the party's Campaign Manager, Claire Rojas, were kidnapped by a hard-line faction of FARC on 7 March 2002, while travelling in FARC-controlled territory. Betancourt had spoken at the Canberra Gathering, making many friends. As
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3584-634: The Brandenburg (10.8%) and Saxony (8.6%) state elections in September 2019, and subsequently joined coalition governments in both states. They suffered an unexpected decline in the Thuringian election in October, only narrowing retaining their seats with 5.2%. In the February 2020 Hamburg state election , the Greens became the second largest party, winning 24.2% of votes cast. In March 2021,
3696-575: The East German Green Party after German reunification in 1990. Since January 2022, Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour have been co-leaders of the party. It currently holds 118 of the 736 seats in the Bundestag , having won 14.8% of votes cast in the 2021 federal election , and its parliamentary group is the third largest of six. Its parliamentary co-leaders are Britta Haßelmann and Katharina Dröge . The Greens have been part of
3808-656: The Green Party of Canada in 1983 (the Ontario Greens and British Columbia Greens were also formed that year). Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May was the instigator and one of the candidates of the Small Party and she was eventually elected as a member of the Green Party in 2011 Canadian federal election . In Finland, the Green League became the first European Green Party to form part of
3920-594: The NATO actions in Kosovo. Numerous anti-war party members resigned their party membership when the first post-war deployment of German troops in a military conflict abroad occurred under a Red-Green government, and the party began to experience a long string of defeats in local and state-level elections. Disappointment with the Green participation in government increased when anti-nuclear power activists realised that shutting down
4032-495: The Saarland , and is a member of coalition governments in eleven states. Winfried Kretschmann , Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg , is the only Green head of government in Germany. The Landtag of Baden-Württemberg is also the only state legislature in which Alliance 90/The Greens is the largest party; it is the second largest party in the legislatures of Berlin , Hamburg , and Schleswig-Holstein . Alliance 90/The Greens
4144-664: The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held there. More than 200 Greens from 28 nations attended. The first formal Global Greens Gathering took place in Canberra , in 2001, with more than 800 Greens from 72 countries in attendance. The second Global Green Congress was held in São Paulo, Brazil, in May 2008, when 75 parties were represented. Global Green networking dates back to 1990. Following
4256-481: The United States "call for an end to the ' War on Drugs '" and "for the decriminalization of victimless crimes ", they also call for developing "a firm approach to law enforcement that directly addresses violent crime, including trafficking in hard drugs". In Europe, some green parties have tended to support the creation of a democratic federal Europe , while others have opposed European integration . In
4368-554: The debt brake , the climate transition, and property expropriation in Berlin . They are focusing on environmentalist and socially progressive policies. Emphasis is placed on mitigating climate change , reducing carbon emissions , and fostering sustainability and environmentally-friendly practices. They support equality, social justice , and humanitarian responses to events such as the European migrant crisis . Their fiscal platform
4480-442: The free market system, with some modification, is capable of addressing ecological problems. This belief is documented in the business experiences of eco-capitalists in the book, The Gort Cloud that describes the gort cloud as the green community that supports eco-friendly businesses. Since the beginning, green politics has emphasized local, grassroots -level political activity and decision-making. According to its adherents, it
4592-466: The postmaterialist left. The party's political position is generally described to be centre-left, but there are also journalistic sources describing the party as centrist . The West German Greens played a crucial role in the development of green politics in Europe, with their original program outlining "four principles: ecological, social, grassroots, and non-violent." Initially ideologically heterogenous,
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4704-773: The student protests of 1968 . Officially founded as a German national party on 13 January 1980 in Karlsruhe , the party sought to give these movements political and parliamentary representation, as the pre-existing peoples parties [ de ] were not organised in a way to address their stated issues. Its membership included organisers from former attempts to achieve institutional representation such as GLU [ de ] and AUD [ de ] . Opposition to pollution, use of nuclear power , NATO military action, and certain aspects of industrialised society were principal campaign issues. The party also championed sexual liberation and some of their members supported
4816-584: The "black-yellow" CDU-FDP coalition in North Rhine-Westphalia under Jürgen Rüttgers lost its majority. The Greens and the SPD came one seat short of a governing majority, but after multiple negotiations about coalitions of SPD and Greens with either the FDP or The Left, the SPD and Greens decided to form a minority government , which was possible because under the constitution of North Rhine-Westphalia
4928-438: The 1970s; since then green parties have developed and established themselves in many countries around the globe and have achieved some electoral success. The political term green was used initially in relation to die Grünen (German for "the Greens"), a green party formed in the late 1970s. The term political ecology is sometimes used in academic circles, but it has come to represent an interdisciplinary field of study as
5040-584: The Bundestag as a district representative for the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg – Prenzlauer Berg East constituency in Berlin, becoming the first Green to ever gain a first-past-the-post seat in Germany. The Greens benefited from increased inroads among traditionally left-wing demographics which had benefited from Green-initiated legislation in the 1998–2002 term, such as environmentalists ( Renewable Energies Act ) and LGBT groups ( Registered Partnership Law). Perhaps most important for determining
5152-734: The Bundestag in the 2017 federal election , winning 8.9% of votes. After the election, they entered into talks for a Jamaica coalition with the CDU and FDP. Discussions collapsed after the FDP withdrew in November. After the federal election and unsuccessful Jamaica negotiations, the party held elections for two new co-leaders; incumbents Özdemir and Peter did not stand for re-election. Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock were elected with 81% and 64% of votes, respectively. Habeck had served as deputy premier and environment minister in Schleswig-Holstein since 2012, while Baerbock had been
5264-616: The Chancellor candidates for the CDU and SPD, respectively. The party's fortunes did not reverse even after the July floods , which saw climate change return as the most important issue among voters. The situation worsened in August as the SPD surged into first place to the detriment of both the CDU and Greens. The Greens finished in third place in the 2021 federal election with 14.8% of votes. Though their best ever federal election result, it
5376-507: The European Parliament for The Greens of France . The November 2003 convention is also noteworthy because it was the first convention of a German political party ever to use an electronic voting system. The Greens gained a record 13 of Germany's 99 seats in these elections, mainly due to the perceived competence of Green ministers in the federal government and the unpopularity of the Social Democratic Party . In early 2005,
5488-586: The German state of Baden-Württenburg , the Green Party became the leader of the coalition with the Social Democrats after finishing second in the 2011 Baden-Württemberg state election . In the following state election, 2016 , the Green Party became the strongest party for the first time in a German Landtag . In 2016, the former leader of the Austrian Greens (1997 to 2008), Alexander Van der Bellen , officially running as an independent, won
5600-545: The Green Party and part of the Union of Greens and Farmers , an alliance of a Nordic agrarian party and the Green Party, was Prime Minister of Latvia for ten months in 2004, making him the first Green politician to lead a country in the history of the world. In 2015, Emsis' party colleague, Raimonds Vējonis , was elected President of Latvia by the Latvian parliament. Vējonis became the first green head of state worldwide. In
5712-472: The Green Party in Finland has come out against its previous anti-nuclear stance and has stated that addressing global warming in the next 20 years is impossible without expanding nuclear power. These officials have proposed using nuclear-generated heat to heat buildings by replacing the use of coal and biomass to reach zero-emission outputs by 2040. Green ideology emphasizes participatory democracy and
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#17327805410715824-437: The Greens backed Chancellor Angela Merkel on most bailout votes in the German parliament during her second term, saying their pro-European stances overrode party politics. Shortly before the elections, the party plummeted to a four-year low in the polls, undermining efforts by Peer Steinbrück 's Social Democrats to unseat Merkel. While being in opposition on the federal level since 2005, the Greens have established themselves as
5936-471: The Greens improved their performance in Baden-Württemberg , where they remained the strongest party with 32.6% of votes, and Rhineland-Palatinate , where they moved into third place with 9.3%. Due to their sustained position as the second most popular party in national polling ahead of the September 2021 federal election , the Greens chose to forgo the traditional dual lead-candidacy in favour of selecting
6048-579: The Greens in the West did not pass the 5% limit required to win seats in the Bundestag. It was only due to a temporary modification of German election law, applying the five-percent "hurdle" separately in East and West Germany, that the Greens acquired any parliamentary seats at all. This happened because in the new states of Germany , the Greens, in a joint effort with Alliance 90 , a heterogeneous grouping of civil rights activists, were able to gain more than 5% of
6160-465: The Greens included a faction involved in pedophile activism , the SchwuP short for Arbeitsgemeinschaft "Schwule, Päderasten und Transsexuelle" (approx. working group "Gays, Pederasts and Transsexuals" ). This faction campaigned for repealing § 176 of the German penal code, dealing with child sexual abuse . This group was controversial within the party itself, and was seen as partly responsible for
6272-670: The Greens were the target of the German Visa Affair 2005 , instigated in the media by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). At the end of April 2005, they celebrated the decommissioning of the Obrigheim nuclear power station . They also continue to support a bill for an Anti-Discrimination Law ( Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz [ de ] ) in the Bundestag . In May 2005, the only remaining state-level red-green coalition government lost
6384-422: The Maritimes when 11 independent candidates (including one in Montreal and one in Toronto) ran in the 1980 federal election under the banner of the Small Party. Inspired by Schumacher's Small is Beautiful, the Small Party candidates ran for the expressed purpose of putting forward an anti-nuclear platform in that election. It was not registered as an official party, but some participants in that effort went on to form
6496-443: The Planetary Meeting of Greens in Rio de Janeiro , a Global Green Steering Committee was created, consisting of two seats for each continent. In 1993 this Global Steering Committee met in Mexico City and authorized the creation of a Global Green Network including a Global Green Calendar, Global Green Bulletin, and Global Green Directory. The Directory was issued in several editions in the next years. In 1996, 69 Green Parties from around
6608-427: The Saarland Greens rejected the option of a left-wing 'red-red-green' coalition with the SPD and The Left ( Die Linke ) in order to form a centre-right state government with the CDU and Free Democratic Party (FDP), a historical first time that a Jamaica coalition has formed in German politics. In June 2010, in the first state election following the victory of the CDU/CSU and FDP in the 2009 federal election ,
6720-464: The UK came into existence. The German Green Party was not the first Green Party in Europe to have members elected nationally but the impression was created that they had been, because they attracted the most media attention: The German Greens , contended in their first national election in the 1980 federal election . They started as a provisional coalition of civic groups and political campaigns which, together, felt their interests were not expressed by
6832-474: The US, Mexico and Chile. The Global Green Meeting discussed the situation of Green Parties on the African continent; heard a report from Mike Feinstein , former mayor of Santa Monica , about setting up a web site of the GGN; discussed procedures for the better working of the GGC; and decided two topics on which the Global Greens could issue statements in the near future: Iraq and the 2003 WTO meeting in Cancun. Affiliated members in Asia, Pacific and Oceania form
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#17327805410716944-536: The abolition of age of consent laws . The formation of a party was purportedly first discussed by movement leaders in 1978. Important figures in the first years were – among others – Petra Kelly , Joschka Fischer , Gert Bastian , Lukas Beckmann [ de ] , Rudolf Bahro , Joseph Beuys , Antje Vollmer , Herbert Gruhl [ de ] , August Haußleiter , Luise Rinser , Dirk Schneider [ de ] , Christian Ströbele , Jutta Ditfurth , Baldur Springmann and Werner Vogel . In
7056-457: The academic discipline offers wide-ranging studies integrating ecological social sciences with political economy in topics such as degradation and marginalization, environmental conflict , conservation and control and environmental identities and social movements. Supporters of green politics share many ideas with the conservation , environmental , feminist and peace movements . In addition to democracy and ecological issues, green politics
7168-413: The author and naturalist Thoreau in America. Organised environmentalism began in late 19th-century Europe and the United States, as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution with its emphasis on unbridled economic expansion. "Green politics" first began as conservation and preservation movements, such as the Sierra Club , founded in San Francisco in 1892. Left-green platforms of the form that make up
7280-504: The buildup of persistent organic pollutants , supporting adherence to the precautionary principle , by which technologies are rejected unless they can be proven to not cause significant harm to the health of living things or the biosphere . Green platforms generally favor tariffs on fossil fuels , restricting genetically modified organisms , and protections for ecoregions or communities . The Green Party supports phasing out of nuclear power, coal, and incineration of waste. However,
7392-418: The conventional parties. After contesting the 1979 European elections they held a conference which identified Four Pillars of the Green Party which all groups in the original alliance could agree as the basis of a common Party platform: welding these groups together as a single Party. This statement of principles has since been utilised by many Green Parties around the world. It was this party that first coined
7504-444: The cooperation of members who were willing to align the party with the agenda of the German Democratic Republic . The party ranks included several politicians who were later discovered to have been Stasi agents, including Bundestag representative Dirk Schneider, European Parliament representative Brigitte Heinrich , and Red Army Faction defense lawyer Klaus Croissant . Greens politician and Bundestag representative Gert Bastian
7616-422: The crises of the preceding electoral period, in the 2002 federal election , the Greens increased their total to 55 seats (in a smaller parliament) and 8.6%. This was partly due to the perception that the internal debate over the war in Afghanistan had been more honest and open than in other parties, and one of the MPs who had voted against the Afghanistan deployment, Hans-Christian Ströbele , was directly elected to
7728-660: The environment. One internal issue in 2002 was the failed attempt to settle a long-standing discussion about the question of whether members of parliament should be allowed to become members of the party executive. Two party conventions declined to change the party statute. The necessary majority of two-thirds was missed by a small margin. As a result, former party chairpersons Fritz Kuhn and Claudia Roth (who had been elected to parliament that year) were no longer able to continue in their executive function and were replaced by former party secretary general Reinhard Bütikofer and former Bundestag member Angelika Beer . The party then held
7840-582: The environment. Greens want governments to stop subsidizing companies that waste resources or pollute the natural world, subsidies that Greens refer to as "dirty subsidies". Some currents of green politics place automobile and agribusiness subsidies in this category, as they may harm human health. On the contrary, Greens look to a green tax shift that are seen to encourage both producers and consumers to make ecologically friendly choices. Many aspects of green economics could be considered anti-globalist . According to many left-wing greens, economic globalization
7952-424: The federal election in 2005, the Greens were not part of any government at the state or federal level. In June 2007, the Greens in Bremen entered into a coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) following the 2007 Bremen state election . In April 2008, following the 2008 Hamburg state election , the Green-Alternative List (GAL) in Hamburg entered into a coalition with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU),
8064-498: The federal governing coalition in 2021. Analysts pointed to its participation in the federal government requiring it to take stances that are contrary to its traditional clean-energy and pacifist ideals, as well as a stark collapse in support with young voters. Lang and Nouripour remain in office until successors are elected in November. The party's main ideological trends are green politics and social liberalism . The party has also been described as left-libertarian and influenced by
8176-435: The federal government for the first time in ' Red-Green ' coalition government with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Joschka Fischer became Vice-Chancellor of Germany and foreign minister in the new government, which had two other Green ministers ( Andrea Fischer , later Renate Künast , and Jürgen Trittin ). Almost immediately the party was plunged into a crisis by the question of German participation in
8288-601: The federal government twice: first as a junior partner to the Social Democrats (SPD) from 1998 to 2005, and then with the SPD and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) in the traffic light coalition since the 2021 German federal election . In the incumbent Scholz cabinet , the Greens have five ministers, including Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock . The party holds seats in all of Germany's state legislatures, except
8400-506: The first such [ de ] state-level coalition in Germany. Although the GAL had to agree to the deepening of the Elbe River, the construction of a new coal-fired power station and two road projects they had opposed, they also received some significant concessions from the CDU. These included reforming state schools by increasing the number of primary school educational stages ,
8512-453: The first having been held about the merger of the Greens and Alliance 90. In 2004, after Angelika Beer was elected to the European Parliament , Claudia Roth was elected to replace her as party chair. The only party convention in 2003 was planned for November 2003, but about 20% of the local organisations forced the federal party to hold a special party convention in Cottbus early to discuss
8624-865: The first president of Austria who was not backed by either the People's Party or the Social Democratic Party. According to Derek Wall , a prominent British green proponent, there are four pillars that define green politics: In 1984, the Green Committees of Correspondence in the United States expanded the Four Pillars into Ten Key Values, which further included: In 2001, the Global Greens were organized as an international green movement. The Global Greens Charter identified six guiding principles: Green economics focuses on
8736-555: The foundational congress of 1980 , the ideological tenets of the party were consolidated, proclaiming the famous Four Pillars of the Green Party: In 1982, the conservative factions of the Greens broke away to form the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP). Those who remained in the Green party were more strongly pacifist and against restrictions on immigration and reproductive rights , while supporting
8848-495: The gradual phasing out of the country's nineteen nuclear power plants and a cessation of civil usage of nuclear power by 2020. This was authorised through the Nuclear Exit Law . Based on an estimate of 32 years as the normal period of operation for a nuclear power plant, the agreement defines precisely how much energy a power plant is allowed to produce before being shut down. This law has since been overturned. Despite
8960-460: The green parties today draw terminology from the science of ecology , and policy from environmentalism , deep ecology , feminism , pacifism , anarchism , libertarian socialism , libertarian possibilism , social democracy , eco-socialism , and/or social ecology or green libertarianism . In the 1970s, as these movements grew in influence, green politics arose as a new philosophy which synthesized their goals. The Green Party political movement
9072-444: The importance of the health of the biosphere to human well-being . Consequently, most Greens distrust conventional capitalism, as it tends to emphasize economic growth while ignoring ecological health; the " full cost " of economic growth often includes damage to the biosphere, which is unacceptable according to green politics. Green economics considers such growth to be " uneconomic growth "— material increase that nonetheless lowers
9184-498: The important political issues at the time was the deployment of Pershing II IRBMs and nuclear-tipped cruise missiles by the U.S. and NATO on West German soil, generating strong opposition in the general population that found an outlet in mass demonstrations. The newly formed party was able to draw on this popular movement to recruit support. Partly due to the impact of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, and to growing awareness of
9296-413: The legalisation of cannabis use, placing a higher priority on working for LGBT rights , and tending to advocate what they described as "anti-authoritarian" concepts of education and child-rearing. They also tended to identify more closely with a culture of protest and civil disobedience , frequently clashing with police at demonstrations against nuclear weapons , nuclear energy , and the construction of
9408-596: The local and regional levels over electoral politics . Historically, green parties have grown at the local level, gradually gaining influence and spreading to regional or provincial politics, only entering the national arena when there is a strong network of local support. In addition, many greens believe that governments should not levy taxes against strictly local production and trade. Some Greens advocate new ways of organizing authority to increase local control, including urban secession , bioregional democracy , and co-operative/local stakeholder ownership. Although Greens in
9520-499: The local press, some by translating it for their web site, some by incorporating it into their manifesto, some by incorporating it into their constitution. This process is taking place gradually, with online dialogue enabling parties to say where they are up to with this process. The Gatherings also agree on organizational matters. The first Gathering voted unanimously to set up the Global Green Network (GGN). The GGN
9632-414: The most centrist of Germany's left-wing parties. However, Baerbock campaigned from the left of the SPD, stating that the party's economic program is geared towards the "common good" while the SPD's no longer is. The party has a more pragmatic approach to workers' rights than the SPD. On the other hand, the party clearly holds positions to the left of the SPD on issues such as fiscal discipline, particularly on
9744-464: The nation's nuclear power stations would not happen as quickly as they wished, and numerous pro-business SPD members of the federal cabinet opposed the environmentalist agenda of the Greens, calling for tacit compromises. In 2001, the party experienced a further crisis as some Green Members of Parliament refused to back the government's plan of sending military personnel to help with the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan . Chancellor Gerhard Schröder called
9856-437: The next six months. In the 2019 European Parliament election , the Greens achieved their best ever result in a national election, placing second with 20.5% of the vote and winning 21 seats. National polling released after the election showed a major boost for the party. The first poll after the election, conducted by Forsa, showed the Greens in first place on 27%. This was the first time the Greens had ever been in first place in
9968-617: The overall quality of life. Green economics inherently takes a longer-term perspective than conventional economics, because such a loss in quality of life is often delayed. According to green economics, the present generation should not borrow from future generations, but rather attempt to achieve what Tim Jackson calls "prosperity without growth". Some Greens refer to productivism , consumerism and scientism as "grey", as contrasted with "green", economic views. "Grey" approaches focus on behavioral changes. Therefore, adherents to green politics advocate economic policies designed to safeguard
10080-547: The party position regarding Agenda 2010 , a major reform of the German welfare programmes planned by Chancellor Schröder. The November 2003 party convention was held in Dresden and decided the election platform for the 2004 European Parliament elections. The German Green list for these elections was headed by Rebecca Harms (then leader of the Green party in Lower Saxony) and Daniel Cohn-Bendit , previously Member of
10192-491: The party took up a position on the radical left in its early years, which were dominated by conflicts between the more left-wing "Fundi" (fundamentalist) and more moderate "Realo" (realist) factions. These conflicts became less significant as the party moved toward the political mainstream in the 1990s. During the 2021 federal election, the WZB Berlin Social Science Center classified the party as
10304-410: The political spectrum. Baerbock described their stances and style as a form of "radical realism" attempting to reconcile principles with practical politics. At the same time, the party has denounced populism and division, and placed rhetorical emphasis on optimism and cross-party cooperation. Accompanied by record high popularity and election results, this led some to suggest that the Greens were filling
10416-442: The poor election result of 1985. This controversy re-surfaced in 2013 and chairwoman Claudia Roth stated she welcomed an independent scientific investigation on the extent of influence pedophile activists had on the party in the mid-1980s. In November 2014, the political scientist Franz Walter presented the final report about his research on a press conference. In the 1990 federal elections , taking place post- reunified Germany ,
10528-416: The principle of " thinking globally, acting locally ." As such, the ideal Green Party is thought to grow from the bottom up, from neighborhood to municipal to (eco-)regional to national levels. The goal is to rule by a consensus decision making process. Strong local coalitions are considered a prerequisite to higher-level electoral breakthroughs. Historically, the growth of Green parties has been sparked by
10640-433: The restoration of trams as public transportation in the city-state , and more pedestrian-friendly real estate development. On 29 November 2010, the coalition collapsed, resulting in an election that was won by SPD. Following the Saarland state election of August 2009, The Greens held the balance of power after a close election where no two-party coalitions could create a stable majority government . After negotiations,
10752-593: The right-wing. Lang and Nouripour announced their resignations as party leaders in September 2024 after heavy defeats in the Saxony , Thuringia and Brandenburg state elections that month. In all three states, governing coalitions involving the Greens were not returned, and the party was wiped out in the latter two states while only narrowly retaining representation in Saxony. The party had fallen out of five state governments (additionally Berlin and Hesse ) since entering
10864-407: The senior partner in a governing coalition for the first time. Winfried Kretschmann is now the first Green to serve as Minister-President of a German State ( Cabinet Kretschmann I and II ). Polling data from August 2011 indicated that one in five Germans supported the Greens. From 4 October 2011 to 4 September 2016 , the party was represented in all state parliaments. Like the Social Democrats,
10976-465: The spirit of nonviolence, green politics oppose the war on terrorism and the curtailment of civil rights , focusing instead on nurturing deliberative democracy in war-torn regions and the construction of a civil society with an increased role for women. In keeping with their commitment to the preservation of diversity, greens are often committed to the maintenance and protection of indigenous communities, languages, and traditions. An example of this
11088-642: The success of both the Greens and the SPD was the increasing threat of war in Iraq, which was highly unpopular with the German public, and helped gather votes for the parties which had taken a stand against participation in this war. Despite losses for the SPD, the Red-Green coalition government retained a very slight majority in the Bundestag (4 seats) and was renewed, with Joschka Fischer as foreign minister, Renate Künast as minister for consumer protection, nutrition and agriculture, and Jürgen Trittin as minister for
11200-625: The term "Green" ("Grün" in German) and adopted the sunflower symbol. The term "Green" was coined by one of the founders of the German Green Party, Petra Kelly , after she visited Australia and saw the actions of the Builders Labourers Federation and their green ban actions. In the 1983 federal election , the Greens won 27 seats in the Bundestag . The first Canadian foray into green politics took place in
11312-490: The threat of air pollution and acid rain to German forests ( Waldsterben ), the Greens increased their share of the vote to 8.3% in the 1987 federal election . Around this time, Joschka Fischer emerged as the unofficial leader of the party, which he remained until resigning all leadership posts following the 2005 federal election . The Greens were the target of attempts by the East German secret police to enlist
11424-466: The traditional left-right spectrum, different currents within green politics incorporate ideas from socialism and capitalism. Greens on the Left are often identified as eco-socialists , who merge ecology and environmentalism with socialism and Marxism and blame the capitalist system for environmental degradation , social injustice, inequality and conflict. eco-capitalists , on the other hand, believe that
11536-412: The vote in the North Rhine-Westphalia state election , leaving only the federal government with participation of the Greens (apart from local governments). In the early 2005 federal election the party incurred very small losses and achieved 8.1% of the vote and 51 seats. However, due to larger losses of the SPD, the previous coalition no longer had a majority in the Bundestag. For almost two years after
11648-445: The vote. Some critics attribute this poor performance to the reluctance of the campaign to cater to the prevalent mood of nationalism , instead focusing on subjects such as global warming . A campaign poster at the time proudly stated, "Everyone is talking about Germany; we're talking about the weather!", paraphrasing a popular slogan of Deutsche Bundesbahn , the German national railway. The party also opposed imminent reunification that
11760-616: The world signed a common declaration opposing French nuclear testing in the South Pacific, the first statement of global greens on a current issue. A second statement was issued in December 1997, concerning the Kyoto climate change treaty. At the 2001 Canberra Global Gathering delegates for Green Parties from 72 countries decided upon a Global Greens Charter which proposes six key principles. Over time, each Green Party can discuss this and organize itself to approve it, some by using it in
11872-470: Was also a founding member of Generals for Peace [ de ] , a pacifist group created and funded by the Stasi, the revelation of which may have contributed to the murder-suicide in which he killed his partner and Greens founder Petra Kelly . A study commissioned by the Greens determined that 15 to 20 members intimately cooperated with the Stasi and another 450 to 500 had been informants. Until 1987,
11984-418: Was called Grün-Alternative Liste Hamburg (GAL; green-alternative list) from its foundation in 1982 until 2012. In 1984, it became the official Hamburg branch of The Greens. The political party The Greens (German: Die Grünen ) sprung out of the wave of New Social Movements that were active in the 1970s, including environmentalist , anti-war , and anti-nuclear movements which can trace their origin to
12096-608: Was considered a bitter disappointment in light of their polling numbers during the previous three years. They entered coalition talks with the FDP and SPD, eventually joining a traffic light coalition under Chancellor Olaf Scholz which took office on 8 December 2021. The Greens have five ministers in the Scholz cabinet , including Robert Habeck as Vice-Chancellor and Annalena Baerbock as foreign minister. Since party statute mandates that party leaders may not hold government office, Baerbock and Habeck stepped down after entering cabinet. At
12208-402: Was founded as Alternative Liste , or precisely, Alternative Liste für Demokratie und Umweltschutz (AL; alternative list for democracy and environmental protection) in 1978 and became the official West Berlin branch of The Greens in 1980. In 1993, it renamed to Alliance 90/The Greens Berlin after the merger with East Berlin's Greens and Alliance 90. The Hamburg state branch of the Green Party
12320-503: Was in process, instead wanting to initiate debates on ecology and nuclear issues before reunification causing a drop in support in Western Germany. After the 1994 federal election ; however, the merged party returned to the Bundestag, and the Greens received 7.3% of the vote nationwide and 49 seats. In the 1998 federal election , despite a slight fall in their percentage of the vote (6.7%), the Greens retained 47 seats and joined
12432-720: Was initially founded in West Germany as Die Grünen (the Greens) in January 1980. It grew out of the anti-nuclear energy, environmental, peace, new left, and new social movements of the late 20th century. Grüne Liste Umweltschutz (green list for environmental protection) was the name used for some branches in Lower Saxony and other states in the Federal Republic of Germany. These groups were founded in 1977 and took part in several elections. Most of them merged with The Greens in 1980. The West Berlin state branch of The Greens
12544-753: Was the United Tasmania Group , founded in Australia in March 1972 to fight against deforestation and the creation of a dam that would damage Lake Pedder ; whilst it only gained three percent in state elections, it inspired the creation of Green parties all over the world. In May 1972, a meeting at Victoria University of Wellington launched the Values Party , the world's first countrywide green party to contest Parliamentary seats nationally. In November 1972, Europe's first green party, PEOPLE in
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