Bündnis 90/Die Grünen

Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
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Name	Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
Native name	Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
Founded	1993
Headquarters	Berlin
Ideology	Green politics, Social liberalism, Ecologism
Position	Centre-left
European	European Green Party
Seats1 title	Bundestag
Country	Germany

Bündnis 90/Die Grünen is a German political party formed by the 1993 merger of environmentalist West German Greens and East German civil rights activists from Bündnis 90. The party has evolved from grassroots movements into a major parliamentary force involved in federal and state coalitions, influencing policy on climate, energy, and civil liberties. It operates within European and international networks and has provided ministers in several Bundesregierungen and Land cabinets.

History

The origins trace to the 1970s and 1980s environmental and anti-nuclear movements intertwined with the 1980 founding of the West German Greens and the late-1980s formation of Bündnis 90 after the Peaceful Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Key early events include participation in protests such as those at Wackersdorf and alliances with groups like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. The 1993 merger followed negotiations in the wake of German reunification and parliamentary developments involving the German Bundestag and the Bundesrat. The party's parliamentary breakthrough in the 1980s involved winning seats in the European Parliament and state parliaments including North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, and Baden-Württemberg. Internal debates over pacifism, economic policy, and coalition strategy echoed controversies seen in other post-1968 movements such as New Social Movements and influenced relations with parties like the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.

Ideology and Political Positions

The party's platform emphasizes environmentalism, climate protection, and sustainability, aligning with positions in the European Green Party and advocacy groups such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Friends of the Earth Europe. It combines social liberalism with progressive stances on civil rights, supporting measures like same-sex marriage recognized under laws debated in the Bundestag and reforms influenced by decisions of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany. On foreign policy it shifted from strict pacifism to support for multilateral interventions within frameworks like the United Nations and NATO, engaging with debates involving European Union defense initiatives and missions such as those overseen by the European External Action Service. Economic positions favor green taxation, emissions trading linked to schemes like the European Union Emissions Trading System, and investment in renewable energy technologies including offshore wind linked to projects in the North Sea and innovation tied to institutions like the Fraunhofer Society and German Aerospace Center.

Organisation and Structure

Organisationally the party is structured with local Ortsverbände, state Landesverbände, and a federal executive board elected at national congresses similar to procedures in parties like the Social Democratic Party of Germany and Free Democratic Party (Germany). The federal congress elects co-chairs, a federal executive, and spokespersons; comparable roles exist in parties such as The Left (Germany). The party maintains affiliated foundations and think tanks cooperating with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, and has youth and student wings like Grüne Jugend that parallel organisations linked to parties such as Jusos and FDP Junge Liberale. Its representation in the Bundestag follows parliamentary group procedures similar to those used by the CDU/CSU Bundestagfraktion and the SPD-Fraktion.

Electoral Performance

Electoral milestones include first Bundestag representation in the 1980s, state government entries in Länder such as Baden-Württemberg and Hesse, and significant European Parliament delegations. Federal vote shares since reunification have fluctuated, with peaks in periods following public debates over climate policy and social issues. The party's performance has impacted coalition math in federal elections alongside parties like the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Free Democratic Party (Germany), Social Democratic Party of Germany, and Die Linke. Results in European elections reflect transnational trends also affecting parties such as Les Verts in France and The Greens (UK).

Government Participation and Coalitions

The party has participated in coalition governments at state and federal levels, forming coalitions with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in "red-green" alliances and with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) in some Länder. Federal governing participation includes ministerial posts in cabinets modeled on coalition agreements similar to pacts negotiated between the SPD and FDP or between SPD and Die Linke in other jurisdictions. At European level, it cooperates with Green groups in the European Parliament and national green parties like Miljöpartiet de gröna and Die Grünen (Austria).

Key Figures and Leadership

Prominent figures have included co-chairs and ministers comparable in public profile to leaders from other major parties such as the SPD and CDU. Notable officeholders have taken roles in federal ministries, state cabinets in Länder like Baden-Württemberg and Hesse, and European institutions including European Commission posts. Party leaders have often been former parliamentarians in the Bundestag and Members of the European Parliament who engaged with policy debates involving the Federal Foreign Office and ministries overseeing energy and environment.

Policy Impact and Controversies

The party's policy influence includes contributions to Germany's Energiewende transition, renewable support policies affecting utilities like E.ON and RWE, and legislation on emissions that intersect with the European Union climate agenda. Controversies have arisen over coalition compromises, debates on arms exports linked to Bundeswehr missions, and internal disputes reminiscent of factional tensions seen in parties such as the Labour Party (UK) and Les Républicains. Other disputes involved positions on nuclear power phase-out, relations with environmental NGOs like World Wide Fund for Nature and tactical disagreements around electoral strategy in competition with parties such as Die Linke and the Alternative for Germany.

Category:Political parties in Germany