The European Green Party has outlined details of its upcoming Green Leadership Council to be held in Brussels on Friday 31st March.
Leaders of Green ParIes from every corner of Europe say they will gather to begin work on our next venture as a “united poliIcal family” for the 2024 European Parliament election campaign.
Co-chairs Mélanie Vogel and Thomas Waitz (pictured) commented, “Europe is at a crossroads. From the ongoing war in Ukraine to the energy crisis, from the increasingly severe consequences of climate change to the massive social consequences of inflation, from the attacks on rule of law and fundamental rights to the crumbling of the firewall against the far-right – the stakes for Europe are high in the upcoming EU elections.
“For Europe to be consolidated as a democratic space that provides credible solutions to the multiple crises citizens are facing, the next European majority should have high climate ambitions, social justice, and fundamental rights at its core. And it should be absolutely clear on its refusal to cooperate, directly or indirectly, with the far-right. In the 2024 European election campaign, Greens will be ready to take on right-wing forces, especially the EPP’s alliance with the far-right, as they block progress on the EU Green Deal, build walls on Europe’s borders, scapegoat NGOs, betray future generations, and put the entire European project in danger.
“With the European Greens in government in six* EU countries, with the biggest Green group in the European Parliament we ever had, and with important European regions and cities governed by Greens, we are stronger than ever before to take on the challenges faced by the EU.
“In view of the next elections, the European Greens are continuing our work to aggregate support around the Green project, beyond our traditional strongholds, and grow into the South and East. We stand ready to play a central role in the new political majority following the 2024 elections and believe that having the Green agenda at the heart of the next majority is the only way to address the anxiety of European citizens who are preoccupied by the status quo.”
At the Green Leadership Council, party leaders are expected to support the continuation of the leading candidate (Spitzenkandidaten) process.
Co-chairs Mélanie Vogel and Thomas Waitz added, “Backdoor horse-trading between the member states in the European Council over appointments to the EU’s top jobs can no longer be tolerated. Today, the Spitzenkandidaten process is the strongest democratic tool at our disposal to give EU citizens a direct say in deciding who would be the next European Commission President. That is why the European Greens remain steadfast in our support for the process as a tool to advance the democratic legitimacy of the EU, create a European public sphere, increase voter turnout, and add greater transparency to the appointment of the President of the European Commission. We believe that this is a crucial step towards a more democratic and transparent European Union, so we will fight to keep it and urge all parties to join us in supporting it.”
Image: European Green Party
