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The Greens (France)
Encyclopedia
The Greens were a Green political party
to the centre-left
of the political spectrum
in France
. They had officially been in existence since 1984, but their spiritual roots could be traced as far back as René Dumont
’s candidacy for the presidency in 1974
. On November the 13th of 2010, it merged with Europe Écologie
to become Europe Écologie–The Greens
.
In the years following Dumont’s challenge for the presidency, and prior to the formal confirmation of les Verts as political party, environmentalists contested elections under such banners as Ecology 78, Ecology Europe and Ecology Today. When, in 1982, the Ecologist Party merged with the Ecologist Confederation, les Verts were born. Under the ideological guidance of Antoine Waechter
, the party in 1986 signalled a break with the traditional divide in French politics, declaring that environmental politics could not be “married” to either the left or the right (which gave rise to its famous slogan “ni droite, ni gauche” - "neither right, nor left"). Antoine Waechter ran in the 1988 presidential elections
, capturing 1,150,000 ballots (or 3.8%) in the first round of voting. But the major breakthrough came the following year when - again under the leadership of Waechter - the Greens polled 10.6% in the European parliamentary elections.
However, the party faced with another ecologist party: Ecology Generation led by Brice Lalonde
, environment minister of President Mitterrand
and allied with the Socialist Party
(PS). In this, if the ecologist parties benefited from the electoral decline of the PS in the beginning of the 1990s, the Greens competed for the leadership of the French ecologist movement. In the 1992 regional elections
, the Greens obtained 6,8% of votes and the presidency of Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. The next year, it scored 4,1% in the legislative election
while all of the ecologist votes represented 11%. But, without political allies in the second round, they failed to gain a parliamentary seat.
polled a modest 3.8% but, in due to the marginalization of Ecology Generation, the Greens captured the leadership into the family of the French political ecology.
Component of Plural Left coalition, the Greens obtained for the first time a parliamentary representation in 1997
. Dominique Voynet
was to lead the party into government for the first time, joining Lionel Jospin
’s Socialist Party (PS) and the Communist Party
(PCF). Voynet was rewarded with the cabinet position of Minister for the Environment and Regional Planning, before being replaced by Yves Cochet
in 2001.
Daniel Cohn-Bendit
(or “Danny the Red”), a leader of the 1968 student uprising, spearheaded the party’s 1999 European campaign
, obtaining 9.7% of votes cast, enough to return seven deputies to Strasbourg
.
Alain Lipietz
was first selected to represent the Greens in the 2002 presidential elections
but his public outings proved awkward and he was soon replaced by Noël Mamère
who had initially lost the primary election
s. Mamère's 5.25% represents the strongest Green challenge for the presidency to date. However, the legislative elections were a major disappointment: with just 4.51% of votes cast nationally, the Greens’ representation fell from six to just three deputies (out of a total of 577) in the National Assembly
.
, the present leader, who has seemingly united a majority of the membership under a text outlining the future direction that the party hopes to pursue.
Les Verts had six MEPs
elected in the 2004 European Election with 8.43% of the vote.
In the hugely divisive 2005 referendum on the European Constitution, les Verts campaigned for a YES vote.
In the French presidential election, 2007
, les Verts nominated Dominique Voynet
. Her low score of 1.57% in the first round was the party's worst electoral result, and the French ecologist's worst showing since René Dumont
in the 1974
. The party refused an electoral deal with the Socialists
for the June legislative election
. However, the three Green incumbents, Noël Mamère
, Yves Cochet
, and Martine Billard
had no PS opposition in their respective constituencies. While the Green's vote share was down from 2002, it won a fourth seat in Nantes
where François de Rugy
defeated a UMP incumbent. The Greens now have four seats in the Assembly and sit with the PCF
in the Gauche démocrate et républicaine
group.
In the 2009 European Parliament election
, the party was an integral part of the Europe Écologie
coalition, led by Daniel Cohn-Bendit
. Since November 2010, it merged with the coalition to become Europe Écologie–The Greens
.
.
The Stephen Roth Institute criticized the Green Party in 2004, calling its record "tainted by abortive attempts to expel from within its ranks notorious anti-Jewish activist Ginette Skandrani herself ethnically Jewish who has close contacts with Holocaust deniers."
Other critics, such as Roger Cukierman of the CRIF
(council of French Jewish organisations) did not attack the party as a whole, but rather its anti-zionist wing, claiming that it promoted a "brown-green alliance
".
In June 2005, the Greens voted to permanently expel Skandrani. Among the reasons for her definitive expulsion were her participation in the holocaust-denial website AAARGH (Association des anciens amateurs de récits de guerres et d’holocaustes). Patrick Farbiaz, a Green leader involved in her expulsion, argued that "although she has not written [anti-Semitic texts] herself, she looks like a kingpen of holocaust deniers and avowed antisemites".
The party had previously expelled another co-founder (in 1991), Jean Brière, for signing a text addressing the alleged "war-causing role" of Israel and "the zionist
lobby in the Gulf War
.
has attracted controversy by calling for the lifting of sanctions against Turkish Cypriots imposed by the UN in connection with the Republic of Turkey's ethnic cleansing
of all Greek Cypriot, Armenian Cypriot, Maronite Cypriots and the ethnic redistribution of the area of Cyprus under illegal military occupation by the military of the Republic of Turkey including the illegal introduction of Muslim settlers from Turkey, Bosnia, Albania and Bulgaria and other breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention
in the northern districts of the Republic of Cyprus.
The current leadership, led by Cécile Duflot
, and including Dominique Voynet
, Yves Cochet
and Noël Mamère
are positioned between the two aforementioned factions.
The Greens hold 41 town halls, the largest city being Montreuil
(Seine-Saint-Denis
). Other cities held by the Greens include Wattwiller
, Bègles
and Mèze
. The party also claims 168 regional councillors and 14 general councillors (plus 9 Parisian councillors).
area, Brittany
and western France, parts of the Rhône-Alpes
region and Alsace
. In the 2009 European elections, the Greens won their best result outside of Corsica
, where their result was due to the support of the Party of the Corsican Nation (PNC), in the city of Paris
(27.41%), Haute-Savoie
(20.26%), Drôme
(21.75%), Isère
(21.64%), Hauts-de-Seine
(20.74%), Ille-et-Vilaine
(20.59%), and Loire-Atlantique
(20.16%). It also did very well in large, wealthy urban centres such as Rennes
or Grenoble
. It does more poorly in rural areas, notably areas where its rival, CPNT, is strong. It also does poorly in industrial or poorer urban areas; for example it won only 9.33% in the Pas-de-Calais, a department formerly dominated by coal mining, in 2009.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
to the centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
of the political spectrum
Political spectrum
A political spectrum is a way of modeling different political positions by placing them upon one or more geometric axes symbolizing independent political dimensions....
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. They had officially been in existence since 1984, but their spiritual roots could be traced as far back as René Dumont
René Dumont
René Dumont was a French engineer in agronomy, a sociologist, and an environmental politician.He was born in Cambrai, Nord, in the north of France. His father was a professor in agriculture and his grandfather was a farmer. He graduated from the INA P-G, as an engineer in agronomy...
’s candidacy for the presidency in 1974
French presidential election, 1974
Presidential elections were held in :France in 1974, following the death of President Georges Pompidou. They went to a second round, and were won by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing by a margin of 1.6%...
. On November the 13th of 2010, it merged with Europe Écologie
Europe Écologie
Europe Écologie was a French electoral coalition created for the 2009 European elections composed of The Greens and other ecologists and regionalists....
to become Europe Écologie–The Greens
Europe Écologie–The Greens
Europe Écologie–The Greens is a green political party in France, formed in 2010 from the merger of the Greens and other ecologists and regionalists who formerly composed together the Europe Écologie coalition for the 2009 European elections....
.
Early years
Since 1974, the environmentalist movement has been a permanent feature of the French political scene, contesting every election: municipal, national & European.In the years following Dumont’s challenge for the presidency, and prior to the formal confirmation of les Verts as political party, environmentalists contested elections under such banners as Ecology 78, Ecology Europe and Ecology Today. When, in 1982, the Ecologist Party merged with the Ecologist Confederation, les Verts were born. Under the ideological guidance of Antoine Waechter
Antoine Waechter
Antoine Waechter is a French politician, leader of the Independent Ecological Movement, born on February 11, 1949 in Mulhouse -Early Activism:...
, the party in 1986 signalled a break with the traditional divide in French politics, declaring that environmental politics could not be “married” to either the left or the right (which gave rise to its famous slogan “ni droite, ni gauche” - "neither right, nor left"). Antoine Waechter ran in the 1988 presidential elections
French presidential election, 1988
Presidential elections were held in France on 24 April and 8 May 1988.In 1981, the Socialist Party leader, François Mitterrand, was elected President of France and the Left won the legislative election. However, in 1986, the Right regained a parliamentary majority. President Mitterrand was forced...
, capturing 1,150,000 ballots (or 3.8%) in the first round of voting. But the major breakthrough came the following year when - again under the leadership of Waechter - the Greens polled 10.6% in the European parliamentary elections.
However, the party faced with another ecologist party: Ecology Generation led by Brice Lalonde
Brice Lalonde
Brice Lalonde is a former green party leader in France, who ran for President of France in the Presidential elections, 1981. In 1988 he was named Minister of the Environment, and in 1990 founded the green party Ecology Generation...
, environment minister of President Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
and allied with the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
(PS). In this, if the ecologist parties benefited from the electoral decline of the PS in the beginning of the 1990s, the Greens competed for the leadership of the French ecologist movement. In the 1992 regional elections
French regional elections, 1992
Regional elections were held in France on 22 March 1992. At stake were the presidencies of each of France's 26 régions, which, though they don't have legislative autonomy, manage sizeable budgets. The parliamentary right, led by the conservative Rally for the Republic and the centre-right Union for...
, the Greens obtained 6,8% of votes and the presidency of Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. The next year, it scored 4,1% in the legislative election
French legislative election, 1993
French legislative elections took place on 21 and 28 March 1993 to elect the 10th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic.Since 1988, President François Mitterrand and his Socialist cabinets had relied on a relative parliamentary majority. Without the support of the Communists, Prime minister...
while all of the ecologist votes represented 11%. But, without political allies in the second round, they failed to gain a parliamentary seat.
Participation in government
Waechter's influence was called into question in 1994 when the Greens decided to break with his policy of non-alignment, instead deciding to adopt a markedly left-wing stance. The move prompted Waechter to leave the Greens. He went on to found the Movement of Independent Ecologists. In the following presidential election of 1995, Dominique VoynetDominique Voynet
Dominique Voynet was a French senator for the département of Seine-Saint-Denis, the mayor of Montreuil and a member of The Greens.-Life:...
polled a modest 3.8% but, in due to the marginalization of Ecology Generation, the Greens captured the leadership into the family of the French political ecology.
Component of Plural Left coalition, the Greens obtained for the first time a parliamentary representation in 1997
French legislative election, 1997
French legislative election took place on 25 May and 1 June 1997 to elect the 11th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic. It was the consequence of President Jacques Chirac's decision to call the legislative election one year before the deadline....
. Dominique Voynet
Dominique Voynet
Dominique Voynet was a French senator for the département of Seine-Saint-Denis, the mayor of Montreuil and a member of The Greens.-Life:...
was to lead the party into government for the first time, joining Lionel Jospin
Lionel Jospin
Lionel Jospin is a French politician, who served as Prime Minister of France from 1997 to 2002.Jospin was the Socialist Party candidate for President of France in the elections of 1995 and 2002. He was narrowly defeated in the final runoff election by Jacques Chirac in 1995...
’s Socialist Party (PS) and the Communist Party
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
(PCF). Voynet was rewarded with the cabinet position of Minister for the Environment and Regional Planning, before being replaced by Yves Cochet
Yves Cochet
Yves Cochet is a French politician, member of The Greens. He was minister in the government of Lionel Jospin.He wrote Apocalypse pétrole which was published in 2005.-External links:*...
in 2001.
Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit is a Franco-German politician, active in both countries. He was a student leader during the unrest of May 1968 in France and he was also known during that time as Dany le Rouge...
(or “Danny the Red”), a leader of the 1968 student uprising, spearheaded the party’s 1999 European campaign
European Parliament election, 1999 (France)
On 13 June 1999 the fifth direct elections to the European Parliament were held in the France. Once again, abstention was very high for this type of election- only 47% of eligible voters voted...
, obtaining 9.7% of votes cast, enough to return seven deputies to Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
.
Alain Lipietz
Alain Lipietz
Alain Lipietz is a French engineer, economist and politician, a Member of the European Parliament, and a member of the French Green Party.-Education:...
was first selected to represent the Greens in the 2002 presidential elections
French presidential election, 2002
The 2002 French presidential election consisted of a first round election on 21 April 2002, and a runoff election between the top two candidates on 5 May 2002. This presidential contest attracted a greater than usual amount of international attention because of Le Pen's unexpected appearance in...
but his public outings proved awkward and he was soon replaced by Noël Mamère
Noël Mamère
Noël Mamère is a French singer, cyclist and politician.He rose to fame in the 1980s as a TV entertainer, in particular on Antenne 2....
who had initially lost the primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
s. Mamère's 5.25% represents the strongest Green challenge for the presidency to date. However, the legislative elections were a major disappointment: with just 4.51% of votes cast nationally, the Greens’ representation fell from six to just three deputies (out of a total of 577) in the National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
.
The Greens today
Following the return to opposition benches in 2002, Gilles Lemaire assumed the position of national secretary. His tenure is marked by a period of internal strife in the party. Lemaire was in turn replaced by Yann WehrlingYann Wehrling
Yann Wehrling is an illustrator, French politician and former leader of the political party The Greens.-Life:...
, the present leader, who has seemingly united a majority of the membership under a text outlining the future direction that the party hopes to pursue.
Les Verts had six MEPs
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
elected in the 2004 European Election with 8.43% of the vote.
In the hugely divisive 2005 referendum on the European Constitution, les Verts campaigned for a YES vote.
In the French presidential election, 2007
French presidential election, 2007
The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term.The winner, decided on 5 and 6 May 2007, was Nicolas Sarkozy...
, les Verts nominated Dominique Voynet
Dominique Voynet
Dominique Voynet was a French senator for the département of Seine-Saint-Denis, the mayor of Montreuil and a member of The Greens.-Life:...
. Her low score of 1.57% in the first round was the party's worst electoral result, and the French ecologist's worst showing since René Dumont
René Dumont
René Dumont was a French engineer in agronomy, a sociologist, and an environmental politician.He was born in Cambrai, Nord, in the north of France. His father was a professor in agriculture and his grandfather was a farmer. He graduated from the INA P-G, as an engineer in agronomy...
in the 1974
French presidential election, 1974
Presidential elections were held in :France in 1974, following the death of President Georges Pompidou. They went to a second round, and were won by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing by a margin of 1.6%...
. The party refused an electoral deal with the Socialists
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
for the June legislative election
French legislative election, 2007
The French legislative elections took place on 10 June and 17 June 2007 to elect the 13th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, a few weeks after the French presidential election run-off on 6 May. 7,639 candidates stood for 577 seats, including France's overseas possessions...
. However, the three Green incumbents, Noël Mamère
Noël Mamère
Noël Mamère is a French singer, cyclist and politician.He rose to fame in the 1980s as a TV entertainer, in particular on Antenne 2....
, Yves Cochet
Yves Cochet
Yves Cochet is a French politician, member of The Greens. He was minister in the government of Lionel Jospin.He wrote Apocalypse pétrole which was published in 2005.-External links:*...
, and Martine Billard
Martine Billard
Martine Billard is a French politician and députée, member of the Parti de Gauche.Martine Billard entered politics in May 1968 with the "comité d'action lycéen"...
had no PS opposition in their respective constituencies. While the Green's vote share was down from 2002, it won a fourth seat in Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
where François de Rugy
François de Rugy
François de Rugy is a member of the National Assembly of France. He represents the Loire-Atlantique department, and is a member of the Gauche démocrate et républicaine.-References:...
defeated a UMP incumbent. The Greens now have four seats in the Assembly and sit with the PCF
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
in the Gauche démocrate et républicaine
Gauche démocrate et républicaine
The Democratic and Republican Left is a French parliamentary group in the 13th Assembly elected in 2007.This is the first time since the 1958-1962 legislature that the Communists have been unable to form an exclusive group of Communist deputies....
group.
In the 2009 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2009 (France)
European elections to elect 72 French Members of the European Parliament were held on Sunday 7 June 2009.Due to the entry of Romania and Bulgaria in the European Union in 2007, the number of seats allocated to France was revised from 78 seats to 72 seats, a loss of 6 seats...
, the party was an integral part of the Europe Écologie
Europe Écologie
Europe Écologie was a French electoral coalition created for the 2009 European elections composed of The Greens and other ecologists and regionalists....
coalition, led by Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit is a Franco-German politician, active in both countries. He was a student leader during the unrest of May 1968 in France and he was also known during that time as Dany le Rouge...
. Since November 2010, it merged with the coalition to become Europe Écologie–The Greens
Europe Écologie–The Greens
Europe Écologie–The Greens is a green political party in France, formed in 2010 from the merger of the Greens and other ecologists and regionalists who formerly composed together the Europe Écologie coalition for the 2009 European elections....
.
The Skandrani Affair
One of the party's co-founders, Ginette Skandrani, had long attracted criticism due to her involvement with Holocaust deniersHolocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
.
The Stephen Roth Institute criticized the Green Party in 2004, calling its record "tainted by abortive attempts to expel from within its ranks notorious anti-Jewish activist Ginette Skandrani herself ethnically Jewish who has close contacts with Holocaust deniers."
Other critics, such as Roger Cukierman of the CRIF
Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France
Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France is an umbrella organization of French Jewish organizations. CRIF opposes anti-Semitism and policies that they perceive to be anti-Semitic....
(council of French Jewish organisations) did not attack the party as a whole, but rather its anti-zionist wing, claiming that it promoted a "brown-green alliance
Red-green-brown alliance
The term Red-Green-Brown alliance, originating in France, refers to the alleged alliance of Communists , anti-globalist Environmentalists and/or Islamists , and Ultranationalists...
".
In June 2005, the Greens voted to permanently expel Skandrani. Among the reasons for her definitive expulsion were her participation in the holocaust-denial website AAARGH (Association des anciens amateurs de récits de guerres et d’holocaustes). Patrick Farbiaz, a Green leader involved in her expulsion, argued that "although she has not written [anti-Semitic texts] herself, she looks like a kingpen of holocaust deniers and avowed antisemites".
The party had previously expelled another co-founder (in 1991), Jean Brière, for signing a text addressing the alleged "war-causing role" of Israel and "the zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
lobby in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
Call to lift sanctions against Cypriot Turks
Greens' MEP Helene FlautreHélène Flautre
Hélène Flautre is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the North West of France. She is a member of the French Green Party, part of the European Greens. She was first elected in 1999.-References:...
has attracted controversy by calling for the lifting of sanctions against Turkish Cypriots imposed by the UN in connection with the Republic of Turkey's ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic orreligious group from certain geographic areas....
of all Greek Cypriot, Armenian Cypriot, Maronite Cypriots and the ethnic redistribution of the area of Cyprus under illegal military occupation by the military of the Republic of Turkey including the illegal introduction of Muslim settlers from Turkey, Bosnia, Albania and Bulgaria and other breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention
Fourth Geneva Convention
The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, commonly referred to as the Fourth Geneva Convention and abbreviated as GCIV, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was adopted in August 1949, and defines humanitarian protections for civilians...
in the northern districts of the Republic of Cyprus.
Youth wing
The youth branch of the Greens, founded in Strasbourg in 2001, is called Les Jeunes Verts - la Souris verte (Young Greens - the Green mouse). It has been part of the FYEG since 2006.Factions
Most internal divisions within the party concern the party's political position (neither right nor left, or left-wing) and electoral strategy (alliance with the PS, the centre or the alternative left).- Neo-WaechteriansAntoine WaechterAntoine Waechter is a French politician, leader of the Independent Ecological Movement, born on February 11, 1949 in Mulhouse -Early Activism:...
(environmentalists, social liberals, centrists): Followers of former Green leader Antoine WaechterAntoine WaechterAntoine Waechter is a French politician, leader of the Independent Ecological Movement, born on February 11, 1949 in Mulhouse -Early Activism:...
, a large part has joined the Independent Ecological MovementIndependent Ecological MovementThe Independent Ecological Movement is a political party in France founded by Antoine Waechter, former presidential candidate of The Greens in 1994. The MEI hoped to replaced the Greens as the major green party, but due to the Green's electoral deals with larger parties, it failed to do so...
or, more recently, the MoDemDemocratic Movement (France)The Democratic Movement , MoDem) is a centrist, social liberal and pro-European French political party that was founded by centrist politician François Bayrou to succeed his Union for French Democracy and to contest the 2007 legislative election, after his strong showing in the 2007 presidential...
(Jean-Luc BennahmiasJean-Luc BennahmiasJean-Luc Bennahmias is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the south-east of France. He is a member of the Democratic Movement , and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.He is also a substitute for the Committee on Culture and...
, Yann WehrlingYann WehrlingYann Wehrling is an illustrator, French politician and former leader of the political party The Greens.-Life:...
) - Green left (eco-socialists, democratic socialists, Maoists): Including members such as Jean DesessardJean DesessardJean Desessard is a French politician and a member of the Senate of France. He represents Paris and is a member of the Green Party.-References:*...
, Yves Contassot and, until recently, Martine BillardMartine BillardMartine Billard is a French politician and députée, member of the Parti de Gauche.Martine Billard entered politics in May 1968 with the "comité d'action lycéen"...
The current leadership, led by Cécile Duflot
Cécile Duflot
Cécile Duflot is a French politician. She is Party Secretary of Europe Écologie–The Greens, a position she has held since November 2006 and is, with Jean-Luc Bennahmias, the only Green leader to have served two consecutive terms .-Biography:The eldest daughter of a...
, and including Dominique Voynet
Dominique Voynet
Dominique Voynet was a French senator for the département of Seine-Saint-Denis, the mayor of Montreuil and a member of The Greens.-Life:...
, Yves Cochet
Yves Cochet
Yves Cochet is a French politician, member of The Greens. He was minister in the government of Lionel Jospin.He wrote Apocalypse pétrole which was published in 2005.-External links:*...
and Noël Mamère
Noël Mamère
Noël Mamère is a French singer, cyclist and politician.He rose to fame in the 1980s as a TV entertainer, in particular on Antenne 2....
are positioned between the two aforementioned factions.
Elected officials
- Deputies: Yves CochetYves CochetYves Cochet is a French politician, member of The Greens. He was minister in the government of Lionel Jospin.He wrote Apocalypse pétrole which was published in 2005.-External links:*...
, Noël MamèreNoël MamèreNoël Mamère is a French singer, cyclist and politician.He rose to fame in the 1980s as a TV entertainer, in particular on Antenne 2....
, François de RugyFrançois de RugyFrançois de Rugy is a member of the National Assembly of France. He represents the Loire-Atlantique department, and is a member of the Gauche démocrate et républicaine.-References:...
(GDRGauche démocrate et républicaineThe Democratic and Republican Left is a French parliamentary group in the 13th Assembly elected in 2007.This is the first time since the 1958-1962 legislature that the Communists have been unable to form an exclusive group of Communist deputies....
Group). Martine BillardMartine BillardMartine Billard is a French politician and députée, member of the Parti de Gauche.Martine Billard entered politics in May 1968 with the "comité d'action lycéen"...
, elected as a Green in 2007 joined the Left PartyLeft Party (France)The Left Party is a French democratic socialist political party. It seeks to emulate the German political party Die Linke led by Gesine Lötzsch and Klaus Ernst.- History :...
in July 2009. - Senators: Marie-Christine BlandinMarie-Christine BlandinMarie-Christine Blandin is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Nord department. She is a member of the The Greens.-References:*...
, Alima Boumediene-ThieryAlima Boumediene-ThieryAlima Boumediene-Thiery is a member of the Senate of France, representing the city of Paris. She is a member of the French Green party.-References:*...
, Jean DesessardJean DesessardJean Desessard is a French politician and a member of the Senate of France. He represents Paris and is a member of the Green Party.-References:*...
, Jacques MullerJacques MullerJacques Muller is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Haut-Rhin department. He is a member of the Greens. He is also the mayor of Wattwiller.-References:*...
, Dominique VoynetDominique VoynetDominique Voynet was a French senator for the département of Seine-Saint-Denis, the mayor of Montreuil and a member of The Greens.-Life:...
(SocialistSocialist Party (France)The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
Group). - MEPs: Malika Benarab-AttouMalika Benarab-AttouMalika Benarab-Attou is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament elected in the 2009 European election for the South-East France constituency....
, Pascal CanfinPascal CanfinPascal Canfin is a French politician. He is a Member of the European Parliament elected in the 2009 European election for the Île-de-France constituency.-Biography:...
, Daniel Cohn-BenditDaniel Cohn-BenditDaniel Marc Cohn-Bendit is a Franco-German politician, active in both countries. He was a student leader during the unrest of May 1968 in France and he was also known during that time as Dany le Rouge...
, Karima DelliKarima DelliKarima Delli is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament elected in the 2009 European election for the Île-de-France constituency....
, Hélène FlautreHélène FlautreHélène Flautre is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the North West of France. She is a member of the French Green Party, part of the European Greens. She was first elected in 1999.-References:...
, Catherine GrèzeCatherine GrèzeCatherine Grèze is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament elected in the 2009 European election for the South-West France constituency....
, Nicole Kiil-NielsenNicole Kiil-NielsenNicole Kiil-Nielsen is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament elected in the 2009 European election for the West France constituency. She is a member of The Greens....
, Michèle RivasiMichèle RivasiMichèle Rivasi is Member of the European Parliament, representing South East France for The Greens....
(6 of the 14 MEPs from Europe ÉcologieEurope ÉcologieEurope Écologie was a French electoral coalition created for the 2009 European elections composed of The Greens and other ecologists and regionalists....
are not members of the party).
The Greens hold 41 town halls, the largest city being Montreuil
Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis
Montreuil is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is the third most populous suburb of Paris...
(Seine-Saint-Denis
Seine-Saint-Denis
- Culture :A number of hip hop artists come from the Seine-Saint-Denis, including one of the first major hip-hop groups in France, NTM, as well as Lord Kossity, or more recent acts such as Tandem or Sefyu.- Miscellaneous topics :...
). Other cities held by the Greens include Wattwiller
Wattwiller
Wattwiller is a communes in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
, Bègles
Bègles
Bègles is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.It is a suburb of the city of Bordeaux and is adjacent to it on the south.-Population:-Personalities:Bègles was the birthplace of:* Sandrine Cantoreggi , violinist...
and Mèze
Mèze
Mèze is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.Its inhabitants are called Mézois.-Geography:...
. The party also claims 168 regional councillors and 14 general councillors (plus 9 Parisian councillors).
Popular support and electoral record
The Greens are strong electorally in urban areas, specifically in the Greater ParisÎle-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
area, Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
and western France, parts of the Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...
region and Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
. In the 2009 European elections, the Greens won their best result outside of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, where their result was due to the support of the Party of the Corsican Nation (PNC), in the city of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(27.41%), Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie is a French department in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It borders both Switzerland and Italy. The capital is Annecy. To the north is Lake Geneva and Switzerland; to the south and southeast are the Mont Blanc and Aravis mountain ranges and the French entrance to the Mont...
(20.26%), Drôme
Drôme
Drôme , a department in southeastern France, takes its name from the Drôme River.-History:The French National Constituent Assembly set up Drôme as one of the original 83 departments of France on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution...
(21.75%), Isère
Isère
Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...
(21.64%), Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine is designated number 92 of the 101 départements in France. It is part of the Île-de-France region, and covers the western inner suburbs of Paris...
(20.74%), Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country.- History :Ille-et-Vilaine is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
(20.59%), and Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique is a department on the west coast of France named after the Loire River and the Atlantic Ocean.-History:...
(20.16%). It also did very well in large, wealthy urban centres such as Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
or Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
. It does more poorly in rural areas, notably areas where its rival, CPNT, is strong. It also does poorly in industrial or poorer urban areas; for example it won only 9.33% in the Pas-de-Calais, a department formerly dominated by coal mining, in 2009.
Presidential
| Election year | Candidate | # of 1st round votes | % of 1st round vote | # of 2nd round votes | % of 2nd round vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 French presidential election, 1988 Presidential elections were held in France on 24 April and 8 May 1988.In 1981, the Socialist Party leader, François Mitterrand, was elected President of France and the Left won the legislative election. However, in 1986, the Right regained a parliamentary majority. President Mitterrand was forced... |
Antoine Waechter Antoine Waechter Antoine Waechter is a French politician, leader of the Independent Ecological Movement, born on February 11, 1949 in Mulhouse -Early Activism:... |
1,149,897 | 3.78% | — | — |
| 1995 French presidential election, 1995 Presidential elections took place in France on 23 April and 7 May 1995, to elect the fifth president of the Fifth Republic.The incumbent Socialist president, François Mitterrand, did not stand for a third term. He was 78, had cancer, and his party had lost the previous legislative election in a... |
Dominique Voynet Dominique Voynet Dominique Voynet was a French senator for the département of Seine-Saint-Denis, the mayor of Montreuil and a member of The Greens.-Life:... |
1,010,738 | 3.32% | — | — |
| 2002 French presidential election, 2002 The 2002 French presidential election consisted of a first round election on 21 April 2002, and a runoff election between the top two candidates on 5 May 2002. This presidential contest attracted a greater than usual amount of international attention because of Le Pen's unexpected appearance in... |
Noël Mamère Noël Mamère Noël Mamère is a French singer, cyclist and politician.He rose to fame in the 1980s as a TV entertainer, in particular on Antenne 2.... |
1,495,724 | 5.25% | — | — |
| 2007 French presidential election, 2007 The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term.The winner, decided on 5 and 6 May 2007, was Nicolas Sarkozy... |
Dominique Voynet Dominique Voynet Dominique Voynet was a French senator for the département of Seine-Saint-Denis, the mayor of Montreuil and a member of The Greens.-Life:... |
576,666 | 1.57% | — | — |
Legislative
| Election year | # of 1st round votes | % of 1st round vote | # of seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 French legislative election, 1986 The French legislative elections took place on 16 March 1986 to elect the 8th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic. Contrary to other legislative elections of the Fifth Republic, the electoral system used was that of Party-list proportional representation.Since the 1981 election of François... |
340,109 | 1.21% | 0 |
| 1988 French legislative election, 1988 French legislative elections took place on 5 June and 12 June 1988 to elect the 9th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, one month after the re-election of François Mitterrand as President of France.... |
86,312 | 0.35% | 0 |
| 1993 French legislative election, 1993 French legislative elections took place on 21 and 28 March 1993 to elect the 10th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic.Since 1988, President François Mitterrand and his Socialist cabinets had relied on a relative parliamentary majority. Without the support of the Communists, Prime minister... |
1,022,196 | 4.08% | 0 |
| 1997 French legislative election, 1997 French legislative election took place on 25 May and 1 June 1997 to elect the 11th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic. It was the consequence of President Jacques Chirac's decision to call the legislative election one year before the deadline.... |
1,738,287 | 6.83% | 7 |
| 2002 French legislative election, 2002 -12th Assembly by Parliamentary Group:... |
1,138,222 | 4.51% | 3 |
| 2007 French legislative election, 2007 The French legislative elections took place on 10 June and 17 June 2007 to elect the 13th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, a few weeks after the French presidential election run-off on 6 May. 7,639 candidates stood for 577 seats, including France's overseas possessions... |
845,977 | 3.25% | 4 |
European Parliament
| Election year | Number of votes | % of overall vote | # of seats won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 European Parliament election, 1984 (France) In 1984 the second direct elections to the European Parliament were held in France. Four parties were able to win seats: an alliance of the centre right Union for French Democracy and the Gaullist Rally for the Republic, the Socialist Party and the French Communist Party, and the Front National... |
680,080 | 3.37% | 0 |
| 1989 European Parliament election, 1989 (France) On 15 June 1989 the third direct elections to the European Parliament were held in the France. Six lists were able to win seats: an alliance of the centre right Union for French Democracy and the Gaullist Rally for the Republic, an alliance of the Socialist Party and the PRG, the French Communist... |
1,922,945 | 10.59% | 9 |
| 1994 European Parliament election, 1994 (France) On 12 June 1994 the fourth direct elections to the European Parliament were held in the France. Six lists were able to win seats: an alliance of the centre-right Union for French Democracy and the Gaullist Rally for the Republic, the Socialist Party, the Left Radical Party, the French Communist... |
574,806 | 2.95% | 0 |
| 1999 European Parliament election, 1999 (France) On 13 June 1999 the fifth direct elections to the European Parliament were held in the France. Once again, abstention was very high for this type of election- only 47% of eligible voters voted... |
1,715,450 | 9.72% | 9 |
| 2004 European Parliament election, 2004 (France) Elections to the European Parliament were held in France on 13 June 2004. The opposition Socialist Party made substantial gains, although this was mainly at the expense of minor parties... |
1,271,394 | 7.41% | 6 |
| 2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (France) European elections to elect 72 French Members of the European Parliament were held on Sunday 7 June 2009.Due to the entry of Romania and Bulgaria in the European Union in 2007, the number of seats allocated to France was revised from 78 seats to 72 seats, a loss of 6 seats... |
2,803,759 | 16.28% | 14 |
See also
- European Federation of Green Parties
- List of environmental organizations