European Elections: Environmentalists make gains across the continent

The country in which environmentalists had the biggest political impact this year is without a doubt France. The French Green party attained 14 seats in Parliament after having garnered 16.2% of the French vote. That translates to nine more seats than in 2004 (according to the latest estimates from Monday, June 8). The French Green party had a much stronger showing than expected considering that the Socialists only garnered 16.5% of the French vote.

Environmentalists showed strong numbers not just in France but also in the United Kingdom (13.7% with 5 seats), Germany (over 12% and a new seat for a total of 14, tied with France for the most), Finland (11.6% with one seat), Luxembourg (11.4% with one seat), and Sweden (10.4% with one new seat for a total of two).

The European Parliament will also welcome one more Green Belgian for a total of three seats, one Green Dane for a total of two seats (the Green party won 15.3% of the vote in Denmark), as well as a new Green member from Greece who will account for the country’s sole Green Parliament seat. Similarly, Latvia will maintain its only Green seat in Parliament.

Greens did not do well across all of Europe, however. The Green party performed poorly in Italy (3% resulting in the loss of the country’s only two Green seats), as well as in Spain (which went from three seats to two), the Netherlands (from four to three), Austria (from two to one) and Romania, which lost its only seat.

Given the results it is evident that environmentalists, quite influential in Western Europe, are much less so in the East: Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland will not send any Green party members to Parliament this election cycle.

Promising Alliances?

Environmentalists are starting to make a larger difference in Parliament than they have in the past, not to mention the likely alliances with other organizations that would truly give a new dimension to environmentalism in Europe. Daniel Cohn-Bendit, leader of the Green party in France, is currently in talks with the Socialists to “try and create a majority.”

In this case, certain negotiations and debates about the environment are sure to become even more contentious. For instance, with more political clout the Greens could for example be less lenient with Eastern European countries on the Climate-Energy Plan. The Carbon Tax, always rejected by the EPP (European People’s Party) until now, will also surely reemerge in debates in Parliament.

European Elections take place every five years by universal adult suffrage, and MEPs (Members of European Parliament) are directly elected. There are a total of 736 members in Parliament and each country is accorded a certain amount in relation to its population. The official meeting place of the European Parliament is in Strasbourg, France, located on the border with Germany.

Tags: European Elections, Environment, Green Party, Politics, Europe