Green Parties in Europe appear to be a close-knit group. 49 Green parties across Europe are either full members or associate members of the “European Green Party“, a transnational party founded in 2004. Green Parties that have representation in the European Parliament sit together under the Greens/European Free Alliance group, and have 53 MEPs from 16 Green parties. While all European Green parties agree on several core values, their trajectories and levels of electoral success vary, as do their stances on certain policies.
The first Green Party to be recognised in Europe was “PEOPLE”, originating in the UK. PEOPLE contested both the February and October general elections of 1974, but stood very few candidates and polled an average of 0.7% in the seats they contested. It was not until the 1980s that European Green politics flexed its muscles, during which the German Greens made breakthroughs into the Bundestag. This was reflected in the 1989 European elections, where eight German Green MEPs were elected to the European Parliament.
Green politics do not solely concentrate on the environment; they seek to respond to the issues concerning the generation that propelled Green politics to the mainstream. Green parties occupy the centre-left to left of the political spectrum, and seeks to promote social justice, civil liberties and pacifism. Examples of this which are promoted by the European Greens are a pro-trans rights stance, robust calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, and an opposition to the “backsliding of democracy“.
The electoral success of European Green parties varies by country. Green parties perform stronger under a Proportional Representation voting system, such as in Germany, when they become the third largest party in the 2021 Federal Elections, and were part of the governing coalition (before a new one is formed in 2025). Conversely, Green parties have poor electoral success in a First Past the Post system. The Green Party of England and Wales holds less than 1% of the seats despite winning 6.4% of the vote in 2024.
One of the most divisive issues facing European Greens is nuclear energy. Some, such as the German Greens, have historically been staunchly opposed to nuclear. The German Greens have been accused of heavy bias against nuclear energy whilst in government and have even been accused of lying over nuclear power plant safety. The Finnish Greens, on the other hand, backed a pro-nuclear stance at the party’s assembly in 2022. Several young Green campaigners have argued that the traditional stance is “unscientific” and “old-fashioned“.
Green parties also differ on economic policy. The Swedish Greens support a higher carbon tax and would offer incentives to businesses to adopt green practices. The EELV (French Green Party) has a strong eco-socialist faction that adopts a more radical anti-capitalist approach. They argue that continuous economic growth harms the environment, and that industries should be nationalised to ensure they comply with ecological goals.
There are also differences in foreign policy. Green parties in Western and Northern Europe have historically been supportive of radical pacifism and opposed to international military alliances such as NATO. Central and Eastern European Green parties, however, have been more supportive of efforts to bolster their respective country’s national security in order to counter the threat posed by Russia. It was former Green Hungarian MEP Benedek Javor who said that “Greens in the [Eastern European] region were always more sensitive to this Russian threat“.
As European Green parties are playing a greater role in national governments than ever before, even traditionally radically pacifist Green parties are beginning to adopt a more realpolitik attitude to foreign policy. A turning point was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The German Greens were the “most hawkish members” of the coalition, putting pressure on Chancellor Scholz to send heavy weapons to aid Ukraine. Unthinkable for the party some 40 years ago.
European Green parties are certainly a broad church in terms of electoral success. In countries like Germany, the Greens have had successes. In countries like the UK, they are held back by a disproportional First Past the Post system.
In terms of policy platforms, the church appears to be getting broader. As certain Green parties form consolidated positions of power, such as in Germany, they have had to adapt to appealing to a broader electorate. There is also tension between green campaigners on the adoption of a pro-nuclear stance. Green parties are also being forced to choose between pacifism and realpolitik with war being right on Europe’s doorstep.
Green Politics is an increasingly influential force in Europe, and has carved a place for itself in Left European politics. Whether or not Green parties sustain and build on these levels of success remains to be seen.
