10 years already! It is a long time ago, but I will never forget that night, the shortest night of my life, but a great organizational step for the European greens: we were approaching summer, and in Finland, as you know, the sun almost does not set in summer…Many of us did not sleep that night and we could enjoy this strange feeling of a never-ending day. It had been a long day indeed, with several debates about the statutes and the platform of the new Green federation. There was not so much dispute about the statutes: we all agreed that it was time for the Greens to find a new way to cooperate on international issues. After several years of experience inside the Coordination of European Green Parties, we knew each other better, a feeling of confidence had developed, and we all really wanted the European Greens to be more effective and visible on the international scene. Everybody felt that it was an important moment, the moment when we would at last get the tools we needed to take our green ideas to the public.
Indeed, inside the Coordination, unanimity was required to take a decision, and there was no delegation to the Committee. Between meetings, almost nothing could be done. At Majvik, the Greens made a great step forward by choosing the federal option for their European body. In the near future, we can expect a further step forward with the recognition of European parties, since the relevant article in the EU Treaty will finally be entering into force: in this respect, it seems to me that it would be a waste of time and energy not to integrate the EFGP, with its experience, expertise, organization, networks, in the shaping of the future European Green Party. The Green Group in the EP, the EFGP and the member parties should really cooperate on this issue.
But let’s get back to Majvik, 10 years ago: there was not so much debate either about the core of our message: the need to take into account the environment to change economic growth into sustainable development, the antinuclear fight, the need for democracy and social justice all over the world. The most difficult points were about society issues, such as reproductive rights or our attitude towards the use of drugs. Over these issues the Greens are still today influenced by their “national” backgrounds. But the tripod made up of ecodevelopment, participative democracy and social justice is still at the heart of our message and remains perfectly adequate for the challenges of the 21st century, marked by globalization, complexity and uncertainty. That is why, even if sometimes Green parties experience backlashes (remember, a few years ago, Greens had ministers in 5 EU governments…now, only 1 remains), the Green parties will survive and return stronger than ever, when the urgency for change will become more obvious!
