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After a political year with Green successes all over Europe – such as the German Greens joining the government and the appointment of Dritan Abazović as Green prime minister of Montenegro – the European Greens will be winding down for a summer break. The unprecedented political challenges and the rising temperatures show that Green policies are key to securing our future. We wish all our supporters a safe summer, with lots of time to reconnect, relax and recharge. We are looking forward to continuing our fight for Green and fair policies, and to meeting you at European Ideas Lab in October and the 6th European Green Party Congress in December.

News

Our newly elected Co-Chairs Mélanie Vogel and Thomas Waitz share their vision for the future of the European Greens

Meet our newly elected Co-Chairs! Mélanie Vogel is one of the youngest senators in France, representing the French living abroad. She is an expert on European democracy, rule of law, the future of the European Union, feminism and LGBTI rights. Thomas Waitz is a Green MEP as well as an organic farmer, forester, and beekeeper. He fights for sustainable agriculture and better animal, climate and environmental protection as well as a peaceful foreign policy. We asked them about the future of the European Green Party, the current political priorities for the Greens, and how they’re getting ready for the 2024 elections.

Dritan Abazović, the First Green Prime Minister of Montenegro: ‘Nothing is impossible!’

Dritan Abazović, president of our member party URA and Prime Minister of Montenegro since April 2022, is driving huge changes in a small Balkan country. URA was established in 2015 and represents all ethnicities and stands for a European, ecological and democratic Montenegro. Abazović's plans for Montenegro include ridding the country of corruption and pursuing a pro-European agenda.

Heatwave: Listen to our Co-Chair Mélanie Vogel on BBC World Service news

Our Co-Chair and French Senator Mélanie Vogel was on BBC World Service news to talk about the current heatwave and how it is a symptom of the climate crisis. She emphasised that political inaction on the matter could very well render our planet uninhabitable. We need to do more and ACT NOW! As Greens, we are always calling for more ambitious measures because we believe that current European climate policies are not in line with a 1.5°C future. Too many politicians and decision makers are delaying real climate efforts – we are the alternative.

Sustainable agriculture can help tackle a food crisis fuelled by climate shocks and war

Food production is faced with critical challenges as climate shocks continue to rock those on the frontlines of the climate crisis and devastate farmland. Recent heatwaves and floods have already had a catastrophic impact on crop and cattle in many countries across the world, such as the US and Italy. As Greens, we’re fighting for sustainable and resilient agriculture that can ensure we can feed everyone now and in the future.

The end of Roe vs. Wade in the US must push us to defend abortion rights in Europe

European Greens Co-Chair Mélanie Vogel (France), and Committee Members Mina Jack Tolu (Malta) and Malgorzata Tracz (Poland) speak out on the current state of abortion rights in Europe. Access to safe, legal and free abortion must be guaranteed across Europe and abroad to create a more humane world for all and protect those most marginalised!

News from our member parties

German Greens join government in two more regions

The German Greens are now part of regional governments in two more German Länder (regions)! The policies they will implement include fast-tracking the path to climate-neutrality for North Rhine Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein.

Podcast: Green Talking Heads

Listen to the newest episode of the Green Talking Heads on the Gender Based Violence Directive proposed by the European Commission, and how the Greens are fighting against the backlash on women's rights and gender equality in recent years.

Episode 16

Tackling the ‘shadow pandemic’ of Gender Based Violence in Europe

with Terry Reintke

Green Member of the European Parliament

Film screening: the Green Screen

Next film: 'Earth: muted'

After a short summer break, The Green Screen will return on 28 September with the film 'Earth: muted'. At the bottom of the Hanyuan valley in Sichuan province, China, bees are going extinct due to widespread use of pesticides and monocultures. In this lush landscape that hides an ecosystem on the brink of collapse, three farming families work the fields worrying about their children’s futures. Cao, Jingjing, and Ye are shown in relation to nature – in an orchard without pollinating insects, among the hives of the last domesticated bees, and in a mountainside forest where wild bees still fly. Their stories reveal a relatable battle: the difficulty of choosing between your loved ones’ immediate needs and the bigger picture, the wellbeing of the planet and mankind itself.

tilt! - The ChangeMaking Network

Abortion rights under threat!

Poland is extremely repressive when it comes to bodily autonomy and abortion rights. In 2020, Poland's Constitutional Court banned practically all abortions. Recently, Polish far-right organisation Ordo Iuris haas been targeting hospitals with hundreds of information requests to ensure that refugees fleeing war and sexualised violence in Ukraine cannot access abortion in Poland. Women raped by Russian soldiers are forced to carry out these pregnancies. Join Tilt in the struggle for abortion access all over Europe!

Events

Upcoming events

• 28 Sep – 04 Oct | The Green Screen: 'Earth: muted'.
• 30 Sep – 13 Oct | Recovery Tour, Estonia.
• 01 – 02 Oct | Recovery Tour, Spain.
• 21 – 23 Oct | European Ideas Lab, Poland.
• 02 – 04 Dec | 6th European Green Party Congress, Denmark.

Past events

• 03 – 05 Jun | The 35th European Green Party Council: Riga, Latvia.

• 07 – 08 May | Resilient Municipalities – The EGP’s Local Councillors Network organized a 2-day conference that explored how cities and communities can become more resilient.

Social highlights

Follow us on social media to keep up to date with the latest news. Here are some of the most important stories from the last weeks.

One month ago, we were in Riga, Latvia, for the 35th European Green Party Council #EGP35. We elected a new leadership and shared conversations on key topics such as the Just Transition and the war in Ukraine. Thank you for joining us! We look forward to seeing you again at our next events.

The European Commission formally recommended granting Ukraine and Moldova EU candidate status. The people of Ukraine have been fighting for a democratic, free, and European future. We therefore wholeheartedly support the announcement by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

As part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission proposed updating the EU's climate and energy policy in order to align it with the goal of reducing emissions by 55% by 2030. The European Parliament and the European Council just adopted their positions on several key policies in the package. Here, we break down some of these key policies to help you understand what they are working on.

The European Parliament have decided to support the European Commission’s proposal to include nuclear and gas as "sustainable". This not only ignores the science, but also undermines the integrity of the EU's investment label; creating uncertainty for investors, greenwashing investments, and diverting critical money from clean and cheap renewables to dirty and expensive energies.

In Germany, the Self Determination Act (Selbstbestimmungsgesetz) makes legal gender-change requests easier and more accessible. Now, trans and non-binary people can have their gender entry changed at the registry without having to go through degrading court proceedings, and discriminatory compulsory expert assessments and certificates, which had been the norm for decades due to the German ‘transsexual law’.

A tragedy has unfolded in Melilla. So far, 37 refugees and migrants have died following the unjustified use of force by Moroccan authorities during a mass attempt to cross into Spain. We condemn the use of violence and violations of the human rights of refugees and migrants. Spain and the European Union must respect international law which safeguards the right to seek asylum.

News from partner organizations

Global Greens Congress – Korea 2023 is on the horizon! Read all about it and register your interest here. Be a part of bringing our Global Green movement together and help us deliver an outstanding event that unites us all. Email [email protected] for more information.

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