The European Green Party (EGP), also referred to as European Greens, is a European political party composed of national parties from across Europe who share Green values.
The European Greens works closely with the Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) parliamentary group in the European Parliament which is formed by elected Green party members along with the European Free Alliance, European Pirate Party and Volt Europa. The European Greens' partners include its youth wing the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG), the Green European Foundation (GEF) and the Global Greens family.
Green parties participate in the government of one country in Europe: Spain (Catalunya en Comú/Sumar). They also externally support the government in Poland (Zieloni/Civic Coalition).
Ideology and positions
The European Greens have committed themselves to the basic tenets of Green politics as seen across Western Europe, namely environmental responsibility, climate action, individual freedom, inclusive democracy, diversity, social justice, gender equality, global sustainable development and non-violence.
The European Greens was the first party to form out of various national movements to become a European entity, committed to the integration of Europe. The party aims to amplify the views of member parties by having common policy positions, mutual election manifestos, and cohesive European election campaigns. The European Greens also has networks which brings Green politicians together, such as the Local Councillors Network.
Charter
According to its charter, the European Greens is working towards a just and sustainable transition towards societies "respectful of human rights and built upon the values of environmental responsibility, freedom, justice, diversity and non-violence". The charter's guiding principles provide a framework for the political actions taken by member parties.
The priorities outlined in the charter include protecting human health and wellbeing, maintaining biological diversity, combatting global warming, transitioning to a just and sustainable economy, strengthening inclusive democracies, safeguarding diversity, and ensuring social justice.
History
Green politics in Europe emerged from several grassroots political movements, including the peace movements, the ecology movement and movements for women's rights.
The anti-nuclear movement in Germany first had political expression as Vereinigung Die Grünen, which formed in March 1979, and established itself as a party for the European Parliament in January 1980. Similarly, activists in Britain's Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament had formed the Ecology Party in 1975. However, it also brought in ecological movements, which had become active across Western European nations in the 1970s. Environmental groups became especially political after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, which strengthened groups such as the Italian Green Party. In the Netherlands, feminists dominated GroenLinks party. The following 11 members of this grouping, which was briefly known as the Rainbow Group, came from parties which went on to be part of the European Greens: At the convention, 32 Green parties from across Europe joined this new pan-European party. As such, the European Greens became a trans-national party, and the very first European political party.
In the 2009 European Parliament election, even though the European Parliament was reduced in size, the European Greens' member parties won 46 seats, the best result of the Green Parties in 30 years. The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament secured 55 seats in total.
In the 2014 European Parliament election, the Green candidates were José Bové and Ska Keller. These elections marked the first time there were primaries including Spitzenkandidaten at the European elections, which allows Europeans to not only vote for who should represent them in the European Parliament, but also help to decide who should lead the European Commission. In May they presented a common programme including the Green New Deal at the launch of the European Greens' campaign which called for "a new direction of economic policy aimed at reducing our carbon footprint and improving our quality of life". The slogan of the campaign was 'Change Europe, vote Green'. The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament obtained 50 seats in total.
The candidates for the 2019 European Parliament election were Ska Keller and Bas Eickhout, who campaigned for climate protection, a social Europe, more democracy and stronger rule of law. That year, the Greens made the strongest ever showing across Europe, and the impact of youth movements for climate. The strongest surge was in Germany as Alliance 90/The Greens replaced the centre-left Social Democratic Party of Germany as the second-strongest party. The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament obtained 74 seats in total. The Greens' results signified a new balance of power as the European People's Party (EPP) and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) lost their majority.
By 2023, The Economist analysed that "the policies espoused by environmentalists sit squarely at the centre of today's political agenda".
Terry Reintke and Bas Eickhout were elected by the European Greens to be lead candidates for the 2024 European Parliament election. The campaign ran under the slogan "Choose Courage". They were elected by more than 300 delegates at an Extended Congress in Lyon, France in February 2024. The campaign is focused on a Green and Social Deal, and the fight against the rise of the far right in Europe.
At the 2024 Maastricht Debate, organised by Politico and the University of Maastricht, European Green top candidate Bas Eickhout asked directly to Ursula von der Leyen, top candidate of the European People's Party, what her position was towards the far right in Europe, European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Identity and Democracy. Von der Leyen told the audience that a collaboration with the ECR "depends very much on how the composition of the Parliament is, and who is in what group."
Numerous analyses in European quality media consider this as a win for the Greens and the turning point of the 2024 election campaign. The European Greens criticised heavily that von der Leyen, as incumbent president of the European Commission and lead candidate for the EPP, opened the door to collaboration with the far right.
On 1 November 2024, during the 2024 United States presidential election, the European Greens released a statement, signed by representatives from 16 European countries, asking Green candidate Jill Stein to drop out of the presidential election and endorse Kamala Harris, arguing that "Harris is the only candidate who can block Donald Trump and his anti-democratic, authoritarian policies." Stein's team said it was disappointed that "one group of Greens [would] tell another to stop participating in democracy" and that it "would never betray our legion of supportersand the many supporters who have already cast votesby abandoning our mission now".
- The Council takes place twice a year and is the main decision-making body of the European Greens and consists of delegates of member parties. During Councils, delegates from European Greens parties set a common political direction, linked to the development of the European project and its values. They do so by debating and vote on resolutions on key issues in Europe. Delegates are allotted based on their most recent European or national election results. Each party has at least two delegates. consists of delegates of member parties. These are allotted on the basis of their most recent European or national election results. Each party has at least two delegates.
- The Committee consists of thirteen members, including two Co-Chairs (one man and one woman), a Secretary General a Treasurer and a representative from FYEG. They are responsible for daily political affairs, execution of the Council's decisions and the activities of the EGP office and staff. Co-Chairs Ciarán Cuffe and Vula Tsetsi, Secretary General Benedetta De Marte, Treasurer Marc Gimenez, Christina Kessler from FYEG and Committee Members Rasmus Nordqvist, Sibylle Steffan, Marina Verronneau, Marieke van Doorninck, Jelena Miloš, Elīna Pinto, Rui Tavares, and Joanna Kamińska were elected at the 39th European Green Party in Dublin, Eire. The EGP has had several Co-Chairs.
Co-chairs of the European Greens
{| class="wikitable"
!Mandate
!Co-chairs
!Member party
!Years
!Secretary General
!Council election
|-
! rowspan="2" |Dec 2024 –
| Vula Tsetsi
| Independent
|12/2024 – present
| rowspan="2" | Benedetta De Marte
| rowspan="2" |Dublin, , December 2024
|-
| Ciarán Cuffe
|Green Party
|12/2024 – present
|-
|-
! rowspan="2" |May 2022 – Dec 2024
| Mélanie Vogel
|EELV
|05/2022 – 12/2024
| rowspan="2" | Benedetta De Marte
| rowspan="2" |Riga, , November 2022
|-
| Thomas Waitz
|Die Grünen
|05/2022 – 12/2024
|-
! rowspan="2" |Nov 2019 – May 2022
| Evelyne Huytebroeck
|Ecolo
|11/2019 – 05/2022
| rowspan="2" | Mar Garcia
| rowspan="2" |Tampere, , November 2019
|-
| Thomas Waitz
|Die Grünen
|11/2019 – 05/2022
|-
! rowspan="2" |Nov 2015 – Nov 2019
| Monica Frassoni
|Federazione dei Verdi
|11/2015 – 11/2019
| rowspan="2" | Mar Garcia
| rowspan="2" |Lyon, , November 2015
|-
| Reinhard Bütikofer
|Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen
|11/2015 – 11/2019
|-
! rowspan="2" |Nov 2012 – Nov 2015
| Monica Frassoni
|Federazione dei Verdi
|11/2012 – 11/2015
| rowspan="2" | Jacqueline Cremers (until end 2014)
Mar Garcia (from January 2015)
| rowspan="2" |Athens, , November 2012
|-
| Reinhard Bütikofer
|Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen
|11/2012 – 11/2015
|-
! rowspan="2" |Oct 2009 – Nov 2012
| Monica Frassoni
|Federazione dei Verdi
|10/2009 – 11/2012
| rowspan="2" | Jacqueline Cremers
| rowspan="2" |Malmö, , October 2009
|-
| Philippe Lamberts
|Ecolo
|10/2009 – 11/2012
|-
! rowspan="2" |May 2006 – Oct 2009
| Ulrike Lunacek
|Die Grünen
|05/2006 – 10/2009
| rowspan="2" | Juan Behrend
| rowspan="2" |Helsinki, , May 2006
|-
| Philippe Lamberts
|Ecolo
|05/2006 – 10/2009
|-
! rowspan="2" |May 2003 – May 2006
| Grazia Francescato
|Federazione dei Verdi
|05/2003 – 05/2006
| rowspan="2" | Arnold Cassola
| rowspan="2" |Saint Andrews, , May 2003
|-
| Pekka Haavisto
|Vihreä Liitto
|05/2003 – 05/2006
|}
- The Congress is an enlarged meeting of the Council which is convened by the Council at least once every 5 years and hosts more delegates.
Networks
The EGP hosts a collection of networks that have specific special interest focus, including:
- Balkan Network
- Mediterranean Network
- Gender Network
- European Queer Greens
- Local Councillors Networks
- European Green Disability Network
- European Network of Green Seniors
Partnerships
- Federation of Young European Greens
- Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament
- Global Greens
- Green European Foundation
Membership
Full members
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan=2 |Country
! Name
! MEPs
! National MPs
! Government status
|-
| colspan=2| || Green Party of Albania || Not in EU || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || The Greens – The Green Alternative || || ||
|-
| rowspan=2| || || Groen || || ||
|-
| <br /> || Ecolo || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Green Movement|| || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || We Can! || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Green Party || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Green Left || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Estonian Greens || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Green League || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Europe Ecology – The Greens || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Greens Party of Georgia || Not in EU || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Alliance 90/The Greens || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Green Party || || ||
|-
| scope=rowgroup colspan=2| || Green Europe || || ||
|-
| style="border-top:hidden"| || || Greens || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || The Progressives || ||
|
|-
| colspan=2| || Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || The Greens || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || AD+PD || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Ecologist Green Party || Not in EU || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || United Reform Action || Not in EU || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || GroenLinks || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Democratic Renewal of Macedonia || Not in EU || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Green Party || Not in EU || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || The Greens || || ||
|-
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 | || LIVRE || || ||
|-
| Ecologist Party "The Greens" || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Green Party || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Green–Left Front || Not in EU || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Vesna – Green Party || || ||
|-
| scope=rowgroup colspan=2| || Greens Equo || || ||
|-
| style="border-top:hidden"| || || Green Left|| rowspan=1| || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Green Party || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Green Party of Switzerland || Not in EU || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Party of Greens of Ukraine || Not in EU || ||
|-
| rowspan=3| || <br /> || Green Party of England and Wales || rowspan=3|Not in EU|| ||
|-
| || Scottish Greens || ||
|-
| || Green Party in Northern Ireland || ||
|-
|colspan=6 align="right"|Sources
|}
Associate members
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan=2 |Country
! Name
! MEPs
! National MPs
! Government status
|-
| colspan=2| || Azerbaijan Green Party || Not in EU ||||
|-
|colspan=2| || Green Alternative – Sustainable Development of Croatia || || ||
|-
||| || Sustainable Initiative || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Dialogue – The Greens' Party || || ||
|-
| colspan=2 | || People-Animals-Nature || || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || Union of Greens of Russia || Not in EU || ||
|-
| || || Catalunya en Comú || || ||
|}
Former members
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Country
! Year left
! Name
! MEPs (current)
! National MPs (current)
|-
|
|2023
|Belarusian Green Party
| colspan="2" |n/a – defunct
|-
|
|2012
|De Grønne
| colspan="2" |n/a – defunct
|-
| colspan=1| || 2025 || Ecologist Greens || || ||
|-
| rowspan=2| || 2015 || Green Left || colspan=2|n/a – defunct
|-
| 2024 || LMP – Hungary's Green Party || ||
|-
| || 2019 || Latvian Green Party || – ||
|-
| || 2017 || The Greens || – ||
|-
| || 2024 || Youth Party – European Greens || – ||
|-
| || 2016 || Green Alternative || Not in EU ||
|-
| || 2012 || Confederation of the Greens || – ||
|-
| colspan=1| || || Green Left Party || Not in EU ||
|-
|colspan=6 align="right"|Sources
Below is the evolution of individual membership of the EGP since 2019.
Funding
As a registered European political party, the EGP is entitled to European public funding, which it has received continuously since 2004.
Below is the evolution of European public funding received by the EGP.
In line with the Regulation on European political parties and European political foundations, the EGP also raises private funds to co-finance its activities. As of 2025, European parties must raise at least 10% of their reimbursable expenditure from private sources, while the rest can be covered using European public funding.
Below is the evolution of contributions and donations received by the EGP.
Electoral standing and political representation
The table below shows the results of the Greens in each election to the European Parliament, in terms of seats and votes. It also shows how many European Commissioners the European Greens have, and who led the parliamentary group. It also lists how the Green parliamentary group and supra-national organisations was named and what European parliamentary group they joined.
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!MEPs
!MEPs %
!Votes %
!EC
!Leaders
!EP Subgroup
!EP group
!Organization
|-
|1979
|0
|0
|2.4%
|0
|none
|none
|none
|Coordination of European Green and Radical Parties
|-
|1984
|11
|2.5%
|4.2%
|0
|Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf (1984–86)<br />Bram van der Lek (1984–86)<br />Brigitte Heinrich (1986)<br />François Roelants du Vivier (1986)<br />Frank Schwalba-Hoth (1986–87)<br />Paul Staes (1987–88)<br />Wilfried Telkämper (1987–89)
|Green Alternative European Link
|Rainbow Group
|European Green Coordination
|-
|1989
|25
|4.8%
|7.4%
|0
|Maria Amelia Santos (1989–90)<br />Alexander Langer (1990)<br />Adelaide Aglietta (1990–94)<br />Paul Lannoye (1990–94)
|colspan=2|Green Group in the European Parliament
|European Green Coordination
|-
|1994
|21
|3.7%
|7.4%
|0
|Claudia Roth (1994–98), <br />Alexander Langer (1994–95), <br />Magda Aelvoet (1997–99)
|colspan=2|Green Group in the European Parliament
|European Federation of Green Parties
|-
|1999
|38
|6.1%
|7.7%
|1
|Heidi Hautala (1999–2002), <br />Paul Lannoye (1999–2002), <br />Monica Frassoni (2002–04), <br />Daniel Cohn-Bendit (2002–04)
|European Greens
|Greens–European Free Alliance
|European Federation of Green Parties
|-
|2004
|35
|4.8%
|7.3%
|0
|Monica Frassoni (2004–09), <br />Daniel Cohn-Bendit (2004–09)
|European Greens
|Greens–European Free Alliance
|European Green Party
|-
|2009
|48
|6.2%
|7.3%
|0
|Rebecca Harms (2009–14), <br />Daniel Cohn-Bendit (2009–14)
|European Greens
|Greens–European Free Alliance
|European Green Party
|-
|2014
|50
|6.7%
|7.3%
|0
|Rebecca Harms (2014–2016), <br />Ska Keller (2017–2019), <br />Philippe Lamberts (2014–2019)
|European Greens
|Greens–European Free Alliance
|European Green Party
|-
|2019
|67
|11.4%
|10.0%
|0
|Ska Keller and Bas Eickhout
|European Greens
|Greens-EFA
|European Green Party
|-
|2024
|55
|7.6%
|7.4%
|0
|Terry Reintke and Bas Eickhout
|European Greens
|Greens-EFA
|European Green Party
|}
Current electoral standing
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan=2 |Country
! Name
!Votes
!Total
! Last EU election
!Votes
!Total
! Last national<br />election
! Government status
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>The Greens – The Green Alternative</small>
|532,193
|3,834,662
| 14.1%
|664,055
|4,835,469
| 13.9%||
|-
| rowspan="2" | || || <small>Groen</small>
|525,908
| rowspan="2" |6,732,157
|7.8%
|413,836
| rowspan="2" |6,780,538
| 6.1%||
|-
| <br /> || <small>Ecolo</small>
|492,330
|7.2%
|416,452
| 6.1%||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>The Greens</small>
|EPP
|2,015,320
|6.1%
|EPP
|2,658,548
| 6.3%||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>We Can!</small>
|44,670
|764,089
| 5.9%
|193,051
|2,180,411
| 9.1%||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation</small>
|9,232
|280,935
|3.3%
|15,762
|357,712
| 4.4%||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>Green Party</small>
|0
|2,370,765
|<small>did not compete</small>
|53,343
|5,375,090
| 1.0%||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>Socialist People's Party</small>
|364,895
|2.758.855
|13.2%
|413,306
|3,614,272
| 11,6%||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>Estonian Greens</small>
|5,824
|332,104
|1.8%
|10,226
|561,131
| 1.8%||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>Green League</small>
|292,892
|1,830,045
|16.0%
|354,194
|3,081,916
| 11.5%||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>Europe Ecology – The Greens</small>
|3,055,023
|22,654,164
|13.5%
|973,527
|22,655,174
| 4.3%||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>Alliance 90/The Greens</small>
|7,677,071
|37,396,889||20.5%
|6,852,206
|46,442,023
| 14.8%||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>Ecologist Greens</small>
|49,099
|5,656,122
|0.9%
|0
|5,769,542
| <small>did not compete</small>||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>LMP – Hungary's Green Party</small>
|75,498
|3,470,257
|2.2%
|404,429
|5,732,283
| 7.1%||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>Green Party</small>
|93,575
|1,745,230
|5.4%
|66,911
|2,202,454
| 3.0%||
|-
| colspan="2" scope="rowgroup" | || rowspan="2" | <small>Green Europe</small>
| rowspan="2" |621,492
| rowspan="2" |26,783,732
| rowspan="2" |2.3%
| rowspan="2" |1.071.663
| rowspan="2" |29,172,085
| rowspan="2" | 3.6%||
|-
| style="border-top:hidden"| || ||
|-
| colspan=2| || <small>The Greens</small>
|39.535
|217,086
|18.9%
|32.177
|216,177
| 15.1%||
|-
| colspan=2| || <small>AD+PD</small>
|7,142
|260,212
|<small>did not compete</small>
|0
|310,665
| <small>did not compete</small>||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>GroenLinks</small>
|599,283
| 5,497,813|| 10.9%
|1.643.073
|10,432,726
|15.75%|| (Election)
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>The Greens</small>
|EPP
| 13,647,311|| <small>38.5%</small>
|EPP
|18,470,710
| <small>27.4%</small>||
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | || <small>Ecologist Party "The Greens"</small>
|LEFT
|3,314,414
|6.9%
|LEFT
|5,340,890
| 6.3%||
|-
|LIVRE
|60,575
|3,084,505
|1.8%
|5,417,715
|71,232
|1.3%
|
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>Green Party</small>
|0
|9,069,822
|<small>did not compete</small>
|23,085
|5,908,331
| 0.4%||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>Youth Party – European Greens</small>
|0
|482,075
|<small>did not compete</small>
|0
|891,097
| <small>did not compete</small>||
|-
| colspan="2" scope="rowgroup" | || <small>Equo</small>
|0
| rowspan="3" |22,426,066
|<small>did not compete</small>
|582,306
| rowspan="3" |24,258,228
| 2.4%||
|-
| style="border-top:hidden" | || rowspan="2" | || <small>Esquerra Verda</small>
|LEFT
|<small>Run with UP</small>
|0
| <small>did not compete</small>||
|-
| style="border-top:hidden" | || <small>Catalunya en Comú</small>
|LEFT
|<small>Run with UP</small>
|LEFT
| <small>Run with UP</small>||
|-
| colspan="2" | || <small>Green Party</small>
|478,258
|4,151,470
|11.5%
|285,899
|6,535,271
| 4.4%||
|-
| colspan="10" |
|-
| colspan="3" |European Greens
|15,061,100
|177,624,368
|8.48%
|12,240,131
|214,300,854
|5.71%
|
|}
Current political representation in European institutions
{| class="wikitable"
<!-- Values derived from Wikidata; do not manually edit -> https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25079 -->
|-
! Organisation !! Institution !! Number of seats
|-
|rowspan=5 | || European Parliament ||
|-
| European Commission ||
|-
| European Council<br /><small>(Heads of Government)</small> ||
|-
| Council of the European Union<br /><small>(Participation in Government)</small> ||
|-
| Committee of the Regions ||
|-
| (as part of )|| Parliamentary Assembly || <!-- Values derived from Wikidata; do not manually edit -> https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q132153910 -->
|}
See also
- European political party
- Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations
- European political foundation
- Alter-globalization
- Anti-nuclear movement
- Club of Rome
- Common good (economics)
- Communalism
- Ecofeminism
- Ecological economics
- Environmental movement
- Ethics of care
- Participatory economics
- Political ecology
- Tobin tax
- Universal basic income
- Via Campesina