The European Greens held our first Green Leadership Council in Brussels on 31 March 2023. Green Party leaders from all over Europe met to lay the groundwork for our biggest political venture of 2024: the European Parliament elections.
Leaders of the Green family started the meeting with a strong statement condemning Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine fighting for a free democratic society and our shared European values. We will support Ukraine, whatever it takes, and however long it takes. In this regard, Greens are convinced that the EU needs a stronger security and defense policy and we will campaign on a Green vision for it.
We live in times of multiple crises. Russia’s attack on Ukraine has brought war back to European soil, putting in question guarantees that we had taken for granted. We are all experiencing the consequences of the climate crisis, individually and as societies. High inflation and its consequent increase of the cost of living, the energy crisis, and immense inequalities in our society have led to vast insecurities, putting our social fabric at risk. These multiple crises must be addressed together. We, the European Greens, are the only political force that puts forward credible solutions acknowledging the interdependence and mutuality of these crises, instead of pitting one crisis against the other.
The normalization of the far-right by mainstream political forces, especially the EPP, and the direct or indirect collaboration with them, at any level, puts the entire EU project in danger, as does the organized backlash on the EU Green Deal and on fundamental rights. As European Greens, we know that no crisis will be solved if the next European majority doesn’t have climate ambitions and puts social justice and protection of fundamental rights and democracy at the center of its programs, with a clear refusal to cooperate with the far-right at its heart.
In six EU governments and in major European regions and cities, Greens are delivering solutions that improve people’s quality of life, protect the planet, and guarantee more rights for the most vulnerable. Also, at European level we are delivering: Strong Greens in the European Parliament are the reason why the European Union has a Green Deal, following the Green Wave in the 2019 EU elections. As Greens we are ready to take responsibility. We will not sit on the sidelines. We aim and are ready to be at the heart of new majorities at the EU level.
We are continuing our work to expand our family, especially in Southern and Central-Eastern Europe, and to be the driving force to partners who share our project and values and who want to work towards a Green Europe. Green Party leaders are very alarmed about the current developments in the European Council, aiming at severely stripping the rights of non-EU member parties within EU Political Parties (EUPPs) - essentially making them second class members. As Greens we are very clear - in the current geopolitical reality more than ever: Non-EU member parties are part of our family, and they should have the right to vote and be elected as equal members of the European political families. This is a democratic matter.
Transparency and democracy are core values for the European Greens. The Spitzenkandidaten process is the strongest democratic tool at our disposal to give EU citizens a direct say in deciding who would be the next European Commission President - we do not believe in backdoor horse-trading between the member states in the European Council. That is why the Party Leaders support the process and call on the other European political parties to live up to their democratic responsibilities. Our position is clear: The European Green Party Committee will put forward a proposal to the Green family to elect co-leading candidates and adopt a common manifesto at the beginning of 2024. Member party delegates will need to formally back this in a vote at our 37th Congress in Vienna in June 2023.
The Green Leadership Council has proven that the Green family is stronger, more diverse and more united than ever. We have a common vision to face one of the most turbulent moments in recent history. We are willing to build radical change everywhere. We are ready for the 2024 EU election campaign.
