The Green family kicked off its campaign for the May 2019 European elections, focusing on the theme of "green and progressive change", at the European Green Party (EGP) Congress held from 23 to 25 November in Berlin.
"There is a clear need to have more green and progressive change across Europe”. With these words, German Reinhard Bütikofer, co-chairman of the party, introduced the opening press conference of the 29th Congress on Friday 23 November.
While "more than 500 participants from 35 countries" travelled to the German capital to elect the two environmental co-Spitzenkandidates for the upcoming European elections, Mr Bütikofer and Monica Frassoni, also co-chair of the party, expressed their deep regret at not being able to welcome the Turkish representatives, whose passports were "confiscated" on the day the congress was opened by the Turkish authorities, according to EGP leaders.
Despite this bad news, Congress participants expressed their optimism for the upcoming European elections, particularly in view of the recent results of environmental education in Europe. "We’ve seen a good number of electoral successes", Mr Bütikofer said.
Not surprisingly, progressivism and ecological transition are at the top of the green training agenda, in line with the draft political priorities published on 16 November last year (see EUROPE 12139).
Among the participants who expressed their support for these ideas, Juan López de Uralde, former co-president of the Spanish Green Party, called for "universal access to health". Amelia Womack, Vice-President of the English and Welsh Green Party, expressed citizens' expectations in terms of ecological responses. "People realise the risk they are facing", she said.
The European Green Party also sees itself as the political family of the break with traditional political life and the refusal to turn in on itself. "My main opponents are two: the entire European xenophobic far-right and the status quo parties", Mr Bütikofer said. New Green Deal' expressions opposing the 'status quo' are indeed at the heart of the ecologists' campaign. "We are the force against making people afraid", added Jamila Schäfer, vice-president of the German Green Party.
Brexit. It is impossible for the various speakers not to mention the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, two days before an extraordinary summit in Brussels devoted to this issue (see other news and EUROPE 12143).
Mr Bütikofer spoke in favour of a second referendum in the United Kingdom, while admitting that "probably the deal Mrs May has succeeded in achieving is the best one she could have made in the context of the contradictions" surrounding Brexit (see EUROPE 12137).
Eamon Ryan, Co-President of the Irish Green Party, also praised Europeans' "impressive solidarity" with Ireland in this context. "We will remain close to our English and Scottish and Welsh friends", he added. Mrs Womack's opinion is equally European. "We will stay Europeans", she said.
Elections of co-Spitzenkandidates. At the time of going to press, the election of two of the co-Spitzenkandidates, an originality of the European Green Party, had not yet taken place, as it was scheduled for Saturday 24 November.
Three candidates were in the running: the Dutch Bas Eickhout, the German Ska Keller and the Belgian Petra De Sutter. They had informed EUROPE of their political priorities (see EUROPE 12134).
The political manifesto and the political priorities of the environmentalists also still had to be approved by the party delegates. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)