EUROPE had the opportunity to meet Bas Eickhout (Netherlands), one of the two co-Spitzenkandidaten together with Ska Keller (Germany), of the European Green Party (EGP) for the European elections, on the margins of the press conference to launch the campaign of ecological political families, which was held on Wednesday 6 March in Brussels (see EUROPE 12208/17). It was an opportunity for him to discuss climate protests, to comment on the recent contribution on the European Union by French President, Emmanuel Macron (see EUROPE 12207/13), and to share his observations on Brexit (remarks collected by Lucas Tripoteau).
Agence Europe - Are you optimistic about the European elections in view of recent polls and voting trends?
Bas Eickhout - I am mainly optimistic about the people taking the streets [in reference to climate demonstrations across Europe], to be honest. The polls are something the politicians always look at, but I think what is much more important is that you see now, in more and more countries, that people take to the streets and ask for a change.
We then feel a real support for what we have been trying to do and what we have been working on in the European Parliament. For what we want to improve and accelerate.
For such a purpose, you of course need a public support, and that is what we see now on the streets. I think the people start to realise that things need to change, and that it will not change only by itself.
The politicians always promise change. Even Manfred Weber [Spitzenkandidat for the EPP] is now talking about “time for change”. But come on, let’s be credible!
People are starting to realise that every five years, or whenever there is an election, politicians claim: "We want change". But I think the people are now really demanding it.
This is something that really seems a huge support for different movements such as the Greens, and that makes me optimistic.
Do you think this is a unique movement?
The mobilisation is unique, because it is really a bottom-up movement and it is very fascinating.
You also see the centre parties are struggling with it. They cannot believe it is a spontaneous movement that is organising itself through social media.
The people are asking for different politics. The centre parties are struggling, because they are used to having top-down organisations.
Of course we have had movements before, but we do have the feeling that it is much more massive this time, and it is more fundamental. And the current politicians need to adjust to that.
Will the Greens benefit from this mobilisation during the European elections?
This of course depends on the countries. The level of acceptance you have as a political party differs in the countries. We will have different translations into politics.
You cannot expect [this] from people if you have not been very visible and present, because that’s usually the problem, then suddenly to say “Ok, trust me and vote for me and I will deliver change”. Also in other countries, such as in the Netherlands, the people think the Greens are a movement they are close to.
For us, it is also like running a marathon. This is not a sprint. If you want to implement change for another Europe, you need to be rooted enough to do so.
I think we will take advantage of these mobilisations, that we will win and be stronger because of it. At the same time, since the centre parties will lose their strength, relatively we become more important, and it will give us a better position.
But we also do know very well this is the start of the beginning. This is what we are going to push for, but this is a battle that will take longer than a couple of months of elections.
In five years’ time, we need to grow further and broader and really see this movement all over Europe. This is done step by step.
After Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, has published a contribution on the future of the EU, are you ready to enter discussion with him?
What I think is good is that it has launched a debate in all countries. This gives us the European debate and we have been asking for a European debate for years. It is good that Mr Macron is offering that.
As Ska [Keller] said [during the press conference], we are ready to take up that battle of ideas. I think on the content, the idea of ‘what Europe do you want’ is really good. But what are his ideas? It is very intergovernmental, it is very institutional, he solves every problem with a new agency, a new institution, a new bank. It is very institutional.
But behind those institutions, I don’t see much change. You cannot make the change with new institutions, you have to change the rules. Because at the end, the institutions only apply the rules.
And I think Mr Macron is pretty poor on what kind of rules he wants to change. How is he going to do it in France, since he can do it as French president?
But OK, we take up the battle. He did a good kick-start of the debate, and we will challenge his ideas.
What are you views on Brexit?
It is very difficult to predict. Next week is going to be another crunch week, I think. Brexit is a crunch week after crunch week.
I think the biggest problem is that Mrs May still is trying to find a majority in the Parliament along party alliances. It is political politics. It is more important for Mrs May than delivering a fair deal that a majority of the Brits can live with. She wants to unite the Tories, and she hopes that her majority will unite the Tory.
But sorry, we are talking about such a massive change for such a country. So you have to build a broader alliance than your own party.
This party politics is killing the deal. As long as Mrs May is keeping this party politics, I think it will be very difficult to get a majority. And as long as we don’t see a clear shift in the House of Commons to make a cross-party majority, I think the only solution is to give back the question to the people.
But it needs to be played out next week. Mrs May still hopes to get that party politics back on Tuesday. The hard liners are still united, and they will go for it. I still think it will be difficult.
Then on Wednesday, it will be a vote on a ‘no deal’ scenario [of the time during which the United Kingdom will still be a member state], which also won’t get a majority. And on Thursday, there is a vote on the extension, and probably there she can unite some majority.
Then we will say “OK, we can discuss the extension”, but only if we see a change in politics and other majorities forming. If it is just an extension to again help the Tories to fight over their internal feuds, sorry, but why would we do that?