All EGP Blogs

A few hours before the European Green Party Spring Council kicks off, the NH Eurobuilding Hotel in Madrid turns slowly but surely into green. The printers are running hot, EGP staff and over 40 volunteers work on the last preparations, and delegates already meet, read, and discuss in the lobby.

On March 10, Rory attended a protest in Huy, a really lovely Belgian town on the banks of the river Meuse.

Blog: Two of my close friends have recently lost their jobs. They are only two examples of what is happening, not just in Catalonia, but across Spain - and most certainly in Portugal and Greece.  People are being kicked out of their jobs, deprived of a dignified way of earning their living, and in the end, of freely living their lives. Spain is in the middle of a crisis because the current government has failed to act on three key issues

Italians residing abroad will elect 12 deputies and six senators to the upcoming elections on February 24-25. This will be done by postal vote. Italian Voters living abroad  will receive the ballot papers between February 6-10. Voters who have not yet received the ballot papers by February 10 should contact their Consulate. Once you have made your choice and preference in writing, the vote must be sent by mail to the Consulate by February 20.

I went to Madrid, Spain, last week looking about the city in preparation for the EGP spring council in May. Then it was on to Budapest, Hungary, to discuss party politics. It was a two-pronged shock into the current economic reality facing wide streches of Europe.

Digital rights are going to return to the front pages again and again. I am actually quite grateful for Instagram and this misspeak. For 48 hours, there was the opportunity for digital rights to be discussed at just about any table in a way that everybody could understand. An infringement on digital rights caused outrage and anger and frustration across the spectrum. It has loosened the issue, made a space for discussion and to advance the more complex issues as we address the larger vision and the clear need for better guidance and control.

There are laws for road traffic. There is an opportunity to do something to ease, if not stop, this situation. But, in all my years on the road, I have never seen a police officer indicate a reprimand to a car parked in a bike lane. Never seen a car stopped who has just almost knocked down a cyclist with their irresponsible behavior.

In real terms, we pay less for food now than we've ever done, relative to income/GDP. The food industry has pushed the price of food down to breaking point by externalising costs all the way, reducing quality and nearly bankrupting suppliers. We have to ask ourselves whether we have got our food production and consumption patterns right.

There is a fundamental gap in public understanding of information technology and potential. And the gap extends into legislation and legislative needs. There was no shortage of speakers demonstrating the contradiction of Europe, the European Union, so quick to advocate human rights and civil liberties while doing little to nothing to prevent the sale of technology that allows regimes to track online critics, violating liberties, often in the most violent forms.