Twenty Years of European Greens
1984 - 2004
edited by Arnold Cassola & Per Gahrton
Juan Behrend
Co-Secretary General of the
Green Group
in the European Parliament
1984 to date
Majvik... Helsinki... 10 years ago! How can one forget such a memorable moment? It was the longest day of the year and the shortest midsummer’s night. We were all there – euphoric and hopeful – singing “Che Sarà,” and finally the European Federation of Green Parties was born! Some had the impression that a luminous sunflower was hanging in the grey sky. Others crossed the garden to the sea and celebrated by baptism in the icy waters.
It is true – the Federation’s birth was not an easy one. Among Green parties there was still a lot of fear and even mistrust. What did people mean when they said that we were neither on the right nor the left, but instead were only interested in going “forward”? And then there was the conflict between those who were for and those against a more integrated Europe. A lot of Greens feared that the single market would lead directly to a single currency, and eventually to a European ‘super state’. Would Europe also develop a common security and defence policy that brought a military dimension to the Union? Would new divisions be constructed between the people of Europe, and between rich and poor countries? And would new walls go up between East and West?
There were also strong question marks about ourselves. Should the Greens be making coalitions and become part of Governments? Would this institutionalisation significantly weaken our traditional link with the social movements? And would there be detrimental consequences for the Green movement in general? Yet despite all of this, I remember singing “Che Sarà’” with optimism. The fall of the Berlin wall had created such hope that a peaceful and promising new era was around the corner.
As somebody who had the opportunity to represent the Green Group in the European Parliament pretty much from the beginning of the Green co-operation around Europe, and as somebody who had a role in overcoming the initial difficulties, I was convinced that things in this field could only improve. And so they did! Several European and national elections later and the increasing participation of Greens in governments showed that the situation was continuously improving. Canberra and the many other experiences we later shared as Greens confirmed this point. Majvik was an important step in this direction.
Ten years later and we are facing major new challenges. The European Greens are a point of reference now for millions and millions of people around the world. The Bush-Blair military intervention in Iraq may be behind us, but its disruption of the international order will be felt for a long time to come. The enlarged Union has celebrated the signature of the accession Treaties under the Acropolis in Athens and the Union is on the eve of the adoption of a new Constitution. These are enormous steps forward, there is no doubt.
The efforts to increase democracy, transparency, accountability and participation must nevertheless continue. The Union must strengthen its political profile if it is to play an independent and sustainable role in the world. Only then will it be able to help rebuild the UN and contribute constructively to the much-needed reform of that institution. This is also the key to develop a Foreign Policy based on conflict prevention, solidarity, and sustainable ecological and social principles.
Co-operation at European level must continue to improve: Balkan countries need to be properly included in the EU; bridges must be built between Europe and the Arab world; the people and nations of the south need to be helped and allowed to improve their situation. The transatlantic relations have to be rebuilt on the basis of a real common engagement to face the world problems on a multilateral basis and not by hegemonic dreams. It is, above all else, imperative that we fundamentally reform Globalisation so that it can be regulated and forced to comply with the levels of ecological responsibility demanded by the millions of people around the world who support Green causes.
We have an important role to play. The spirit of Majvik is a strong source of inspiration. Let’s keep it alive.
