The Greens (Luxembourg)
The Greens Déi gréng / Die Grünen / Les Verts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader |
Françoise Folmer and Christian Kmiotek (Co-Presidents) |
| Founded | 23 June 1983 |
| Headquarters |
1, rue du Fort Elisabeth L-1463 Luxembourg |
| Youth wing | Déi jonk gréng |
| Ideology | Green politics[1] |
| Political position | Centre-left[2] |
| European affiliation | European Green Party |
| International affiliation | Global Greens |
| European Parliament group | Greens/EFA |
| Colours | Green |
| Chamber of Deputies |
6 / 60 |
| European Parliament |
1 / 6 |
| Website | |
| http://www.greng.lu | |
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The Greens (Luxembourgish: Déi Gréng, French: Les Verts, German: Die Grünen) is a green political party in Luxembourg.
Party history
1983–93
The Greens were originally founded on 23 June 1983. In the 1984 elections, the party got two seats in the Chamber of Deputies. In 1985, however the party split into two separate parties called 'GLEI' (Green List, Ecological Initiative) 'GAP' (Green Alternative Party). They competed separately in the 1989 election, where they won two seats each.
1994–2003
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In 1994, the two parties presented a common list for the elections. They won five seats in the Chamber, getting nearly 11% of the votes, which made them the fourth strongest force in parliament. In that year's European elections, which coincided with the national elections, the party won one of the six seats allotted to Luxembourg. In 1995, the two parties merged officially. That same year, the Greens' MEP, Jup Weber, left the party again, forming the Green and Liberal Alliance and joining the European Radical Alliance in the European Parliament.
In the 1999 elections, the party lost a considerable number of votes (falling to 9%), but retained its five seats in the Chamber and re-gained its single seat in the European Parliament.
2004-now
In 2004, the Greens regained the ground that they had lost in 1999 and won two additional seats in the Chamber. Although they got 15% of the votes in the coinciding European elections, placing them third, they couldn't add to their single seat.
In the June 2009 elections, the Luxembourg Green Party further increased their European score to 16,83% and sent its outgoing MEP Claude Turmes to Brussels and Strasbourg for a third mandate. In the coinciding national elections, they kept a status quo (+0,13%). Its 7 Members of Parliament (MP) all got reelected. However, its longest serving MP and founding member Jean Huss declared the following day, that he would retire from parliamentary politics in 2011 to the benefit of Josée Lorsché.
In the 2013 general election, the Greens stagnated at 10.1% and their number of seats dropped to 6. However, they became part of a three-party-coalition government with the liberal Democratic Party (DP) and the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) led by DP's Xavier Bettel. The Greens now have three ministers: Félix Braz, Minister for Justice, François Bausch, Minister for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure and Carole Dieschbourg, Minister for the Environment. It is the first time, that the Greens are part of a national government of Luxembourg.
Ideology and issues
The Greens are a typical green party. Sustainable development are one of their key issues. However, topics such as an ecological tax reform, renewable energy and energy efficiency or the consolidation of pension funds play an equally and ever increasingly important role. Especially in a country such as Luxembourg, pioneer of a new melting-pot society in Europe, equal participation of migrants is of utmost importance.
Furthermore, in its declaration of principles it has outlined, among others, the following priorities:[3]
- Human rights and solidarity
- Democracy
- Social justice
- Structural change of the economy
- Equality between men and women
- A commitment to a green and social Europe.
Representation
Seats in the Chamber of Deputies
| Year | Votes | Seats | Deputies[4][5] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 5,2% | 2 | Jup Weber (1984–1989) Jean Huss (1984–1987) Guy Bock (1987–1989)[6] |
| 1989 | 12,5% | 4[7] | Jup Weber (1989–1994) Nick Clesen (1989–1994) |
| 1994 | 10,9% | 5 | Robert Garcia François Bausch |
| 1999 | 9,1% | 5 | Robert Garcia (1999–2003) Dagmar Reuter-Angelsberg (2003–2004) [6] François Bausch |
| 2004 | 11,6% | 7 | Felix Braz Henri Kox |
| 2009 | 11,7% | 7 | Felix Braz Henri Kox |
| 2013 | 10,13% | 6 | Roberto Travestini Henri Kox |
Seats in the European Parliament
After the 2009 European Parliament elections the party has one representative in the European Parliament. The Greens delegation is part of the European Green Party:
| Year | Votes | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 6,1% | 0 |
| 1989 | 10,4% | 0[8] |
| 1994 | 10,9% | 1 (Jup Weber) |
| 1995 | /[9] | 0 |
| 1999 | 10,7% | 1 (Claude Turmes) |
| 2004 | 15,0% | 1 (Claude Turmes) |
| 2009 | 16,83% | 1 (Claude Turmes) |
| 2014 | 15,0% | 1 (Claude Turmes) |
Communal government
Since 1993, the party has also competed on the communal level.
Currently, the Greens have 76 local mandates: 58 communal councilors, 18 échevins in 39 communal coalitions, and 3 mayors:
- Roberto Traversini in Differdange
- Henri Kox in Remich
- Edgard Arendt in Betzdorf
Organisation
Organisational structure
The Congress is the highest organ of the party. It sets out the party's strategy and political course and is open to all members of the party. Every two years, the congress elects the leadership of the party's organisation: two presidents, an executive committee, the party board in which the party's youth wing and the gender council are also represented, an executive council that represents the congress, the treasurer and a financial control board.
International organisations
The Greens are member of the European Green Party and the Global Greens.
See also
- Green party
- Green politics
- List of environmental organizations
- List of political parties in Luxembourg
Notes
- ↑ Nordsieck, Wolfram. "Parties and Elections in Europe". parties-and-elections.eu. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ↑ Josep M. Colomer (24 July 2008). Comparative European Politics. Taylor & Francis. pp. 221–. ISBN 978-0-203-94609-1. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
- ↑ electoral programme 2013
- ↑ Chambre des Députés du Grand-Duché du Luxembourg [ed.]: La Chambre des Députés. Histoire et Lieux de travail; Luxembourg; mai 1994
- ↑ Hausemer, Georges [ed.]: Luxemburger Lexikon. Das Großherzogtum von A-Z; Luxembourg; 2006
- 1 2 3 4 According to a rotation principle, some deputies left the Chamber after only half of the legislature to make room for other elected deputies from their party.
- ↑ Two green parties, the Gréng Lëscht Ekologesch Initiativ (GLEI) – (Green list ecological initiative) and the Gréng Alternativ Partei (GAP) – (Green alternative party) ran for 1989 elections. Both received 2 seats independently.
- ↑ The same two parties also ran for 1989 elections to the European parliament. Therefore, neither the one, nor the other received enough votes to get a mandate.
- ↑ In 1995 Jup Weber left the re-unified Green Party. Therefore déi gréng lost their seat in the EU-Parliament.
External links
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