Twenty Years
of European Greens
1984 - 2004
edited by Arnold Cassola & Per Gahrton
Gabriela Szuba
Polish Greens
-
EFGP Committee member
2000 - to date
When I met the European Greens for the first time at the Council meeting in London in 1998, I was involved in ecological activities in Poland and that was the only reason why I had contacts with the political world. At the meetings of the European Federation of Green Parties I soon learnt that Green politics are not just about ecology, and that this was the kind of politics that I could identify with.
From the very beginning I appreciated the fact that in the Federation the weak parties, usually from Central and Eastern Europe, are treated on an equal basis with the strong ones. I also found particularly interesting the differences between the parties. These resulted from the different backgrounds and different historical experiences.
After I was elected a Committee Member for the first time in 2000, I mainly felt an incredible responsibility, but also a great excitement.
The years spent in the Committee taught me several things. I got to understand better the nature of the European Federation of Green Parties, became aware of the fact that difficulties occur from time to time and also the reasons behind these difficulties. And I really do believe that the Federation is something that the European Greens can be proud of.
I have been particularly happy to observe the growing spirit of integration of the so-called “Western” and “Eastern” European parties. With the EU enlargement getting closer and closer, I could sense that the Greens from accession countries started to feel and act in a more self-confident way.
I hope that the Federation will manage to sustain its role of a truly pan-European structure uniting Greens from all over the continent. At the same time, it is inevitable that we find a way of strengthening our political role. The European Green Party must be a big one, without leaving anybody behind, and a strong one too.
