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| Les Verts (Switzerland) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Les Verts |
| Native name | Les Verts (Suisse) |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Headquarters | Switzerland |
| Ideology | Green politics |
| Position | Left-wing |
Les Verts (Switzerland) is a green political party in Switzerland founded in the early 1980s amid environmental movements and anti-nuclear campaigns. The party emerged alongside international organizations such as Greenpeace, influenced by events like the Chernobyl disaster and debates in bodies such as the European Parliament, and has engaged with Swiss institutions including the Federal Assembly and the Federal Council. Les Verts has contested cantonal parliaments such as the Grand Council of Geneva and municipal councils including the Municipality of Zurich while participating in transnational networks like the European Green Party and interacting with parties such as Alliance 90/The Greens and the Green Party of England and Wales.
The formation period saw activists from movements linked to Anti-nuclear movement, protesters at sites like Kernkraftwerk Mühleberg and civic groups inspired by reports from the Club of Rome and campaigns around the Three Mile Island accident. Early organizational developments were influenced by personalities who later engaged with institutions such as the United Nations Environment Programme and nongovernmental organizations like Friends of the Earth. Throughout the 1990s Les Verts navigated Swiss federalism manifested in cantonal assemblies such as the Cantonal Council of Vaud and national debates on treaties like the Schengen Agreement, adapting strategies similar to those used by the German Green Party and the Austrian Greens. In the 2000s the party responded to international frameworks including the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, while domestic issues linked to referendums under the Swiss Federal Constitution and initiatives shaped its platform. Recent decades saw cooperation with European green networks exemplified by links to the European Green Party and engagement in campaigns alongside movements connected to Extinction Rebellion.
Les Verts operates within Switzerland's federal structure interacting with cantonal branches such as those in Geneva, Vaud, Bern, Zurich, and Basel-Stadt. The party assembles delegates for national congresses similar to procedures in parties like the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland and the Free Democratic Party of Switzerland, electing executives comparable to leadership bodies in the National Council and the Council of States. Local sections coordinate municipal lists for cities including Lausanne, Geneva City, Zurich, and Basel, while policy development involves expert committees engaging with institutions such as the Federal Office for the Environment and research centers like the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. Decision-making uses instruments analogous to mechanisms in the Direct democracy system, including referenda and initiatives under the Swiss popular initiative process.
Les Verts articulates positions on environmental issues linked to agreements such as the Paris Agreement and directives from bodies like the European Environment Agency, advocating for renewable energy transitions away from projects like Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt and fossil-fuel infrastructure associated with firms in sectors overseen by the International Energy Agency. The party also addresses social questions intersecting with welfare debates in contexts represented by institutions such as the International Labour Organization and policies compared to platforms of the Green Party of Canada and the Green Party (Ireland). On migration and asylum Les Verts contrasts positions found in parties like SVP and engages with standards of the UNHCR and rulings from the European Court of Human Rights. Economic stances reference sustainable development frameworks from the United Nations and policy instruments used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Agricultural and biodiversity policies engage with conventions including the Convention on Biological Diversity and stakeholders such as the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Electoral history includes representation in the National Council and sporadic successes in the Council of States and cantonal parliaments like the Grand Council of Geneva and the Cantonal Council of Vaud. Campaigns have targeted municipalities including Bern and Lausanne and adapted tactics used by parties such as the Swiss People's Party and the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland. Performance in federal elections has been influenced by national issues debated in forums like the Federal Council and shaped by media outlets such as Neue Zürcher Zeitung and Le Temps. Participation in European-level elections mirrors engagement by sister parties like the Greens–European Free Alliance.
Prominent figures have included national parliamentarians active in the National Council and cantonal executives in Geneva and Vaud, as well as municipal leaders in Zurich and Basel. Leaders have interacted with institutions such as the Federal Chancellery and collaborated with civil-society actors like Pro Natura and Green Cross International. Individuals associated with Les Verts have participated in international conferences hosted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and worked alongside counterparts from parties such as Les Verts (France), German Green Party, and The Greens (Austria).
Les Verts maintains links with the European Green Party, engages in coordination with the Greens–European Free Alliance in the European Parliament, and cooperates with national parties including Alliance 90/The Greens, Les Verts (France), and the Green Party of Switzerland. Cross-border collaboration extends to networks such as Green Cross International and non-governmental organizations like Friends of the Earth Europe, reflecting transnational advocacy similar to campaigns by Greenpeace.
Critiques have arisen over strategic choices in coalition talks with parties like the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland and tactical decisions during referendums involving the Swiss People's Party and federal authorities such as the Federal Council. Environmental policy positions have been contested by industry groups connected to organizations like the Swiss Farmers' Union and corporations subject to oversight by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, while debates over migration policy have invoked opinions from agencies such as the State Secretariat for Migration and rulings by the European Court of Human Rights.