The Greens (Luxembourg)

The Greens Déi gréng
Leader	Sam Tanson and Christian Goebel (Co-Presidents)
Founded	23 June 1983
Headquarters	1, rue du Fort Elisabeth L-1463 Luxembourg
Youth wing	Déi jonk gréng
Ideology	Green politics
International affiliation	Global Greens
European affiliation	European Green Party
European Parliament Group	The Greens–European Free Alliance
Official colours	Green
Chamber of Deputies	7 / 60
European Parliament	1 / 6
Website
http://www.greng.lu
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The Greens (Luxembourgish: Déi Gréng, French: Les Verts, German: Die Grünen) is a Luxembourgian green political party.

Party History

1983-1993

The Greens were originally founded in 23 June 1983. In the 1984 election, the party got two seats in the Chamber of Deputies. In 1985, however the party split between two parties one called 'GLEI' (Green List, Ecological Initiative) and the other called 'GAP' (Green Alternative Party). They competed separately in the 1989 election, where each won two seats.

1994-2003

The party's former logo

In 1994, the two parties presented a common list for elections, and won five seats in the Chamber, winning nearly 11% of the vote and making this alliance the fourth force in parliament. In that year's European elections, which coincided with the national elections, the party won one of the six seats allotted to Luxembourg. In 1995, the two parties merged officially. That same year, the Greens' MEP, Jup Weber, left the party again, forming the Green and Liberal Alliance and joining the European Radical Alliance in the European Parliament.

In the 1999 elections, the party lost a considerable number of votes (falling to 9%), but retained its five seats in the Chamber and re-gained its single seat in the European Parliament. It received some competition from the Weber's Green and Liberal Alliance, who received 1% of the vote and no representation.

2004-now

In 2004, the Greens regained the ground that they had lost in 1999 and won two additional seats in the Chamber. Although they won 15% of the vote in the coinciding European elections, placing them third, they retained only their single seat. The party remained in opposition, but was invited for the first time to coalition talks with the Christian Social People's Party.

In June 2009 elections, the Luxembourg Green Party further increased their European score to 16,83% and sent its outgoing MEP Claude Turmes to Brussels and Strasbourg for a third mandate. In the coinciding national elections, the party kept a status quo (+0,13%). Its 7 Members of Parliament (MP) all got reelected. However, its longest serving MP and founding member Jean Huss declared the following day, that he will retire from parliamentary politics in 2011 to the benefit of Josée Lorsché.

Ideology & Issues

The Greens are a typical green party. Sustainable development are one of their key issues. However, topics such as an ecological tax reform, renewable energy and energy efficiency or the consolidation of pension funds play an equally and ever increasingly important role. Especially in a country such as Luxembourg, pioneer of a new melting-pot society in Europe, equal participation of migrants is of utmost importance.

Furthermore, in its declaration of principles it has outlined, among others, the following priorities:

• Human rights and solidarity
• Democracy
• Social justice
• Structural change of the economy
• Equality between men and women
• Non-violence
• A commitment to a green and social Europe.

Representation

Seats in the Chamber of Deputies

Year	Votes	Seats	Deputies[1][2]
1984	5,2%	2	Jup Weber (1984-1989) Jean Huss (1984-1987) Guy Bock (1987-1989)[3]
1989	12,5%	4[4]	Jup Weber (1989-1994) Nick Clesen (1989-1994) Jean Huss (1989-1992) Robert Garcia (1992-1994)[3] François Bausch (1989-1992) Jean Geisbusch (1992-1994)[3]
1994	10,9%	5	Robert Garcia François Bausch Renée Wagener Camille Gira Jean Huss
1999	9,1%	5	Robert Garcia (1999-2003) Dagmar Reuter-Angelsberg (2003-2004) [3] François Bausch Renée Wagener Camille Gira Jean Huss
2004	11,6%	7	Felix Braz Henri Kox François Bausch Camille Gira Viviane Loschetter Claude Adam Jean Huss
2009	11,7%	7	Felix Braz Henri Kox François Bausch Camille Gira Viviane Loschetter Claude Adam Jean Huss

Seats in the European Parliament

After the 2009 European Parliament elections the party has one representative in the European Parliament. The Greens delegation is part of the European Green Party:

Year	Votes	Seats
1984	6,1%	0
1989	10,4%	0[5]
1994	10,9%	1 (Jup Weber)
1995	/[6]	0
1999	10,7%	1 (Claude Turmes)
2004	15,0%	1 (Claude Turmes)
2009	16,83%	1 (Claude Turmes)

Communal government

Since 1993, the party has also competed on the communal level.

Currently, the Greens have 58 local mandates: 39 communal councilors, 16 échevins in 13 communal coalitions, and five mayors, one of whom is a woman. (Tilly Metz in Weiler-la-Tour) The other four mayors are:

• Camille Gira in Beckerich, also a Member op Parliament
• Pierre Bormann in Neunhausen
• Henri Kox in Remich, also a Member of Parliament
• Gaby Frantzen-Heger in Vianden

Since 2000, the Greens have supplied an échevin in Esch-sur-Alzette in a coalition with the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party and, until 2005, The Left. The party's échevin is deputy Felix Braz.

In 2005, the Greens won 17,3% and 5 mandates in Luxembourg City. This result had as a consequence a historic coalition change with the Greens ousting the Conservatives as traditional coalition partner. The deputies François Bausch and Viviane Loschetter became échevins in Luxembourg City in a coalition with the liberal Democratic Party.^[7]

Organisation

Organisational structure

The Congress is the highest organ of the party, which sets out the party's strategy and political course. It is open to all members of the party. Every two years the congress elects the leadership of the party's organisation. This consists of two speakers, an executive committee, the party board in which the party's youth wing and women's organisation are also represented, an executive council that represents the congress, the treasurer and a financial control board.

Linked organisations

Déi Jonk Gréng is the party's youth wing. The Women's Council represents the women of the party.

International organisations

The Greens are member of the European Green Party and the Global Greens.

International Comparison

Internationally the Greens which combine green political goals with a cooperative attitude can clearly be compared to the German Alliance '90/The Greens.

See also

• Green party
• Green politics
• List of environmental organizations
• List of political parties in Luxembourg

Notes

1. ^ Chambre des Députés du Grand-Duché du Luxembourg [ed.]: La Chambre des Députés. Histoire et Lieux de travail; Luxembourg; mai 1994
2. ^ Hausemer, Georges [ed.]: Luxemburger Lexikon. Das Großherzogtum von A-Z; Luxembourg; 2006
3. ^ ^{a b c d} According to a rotation principle, some deputies left the Chamber after only half of the legislature to make room for other elected deputies from their party.
4. ^ Two green parties, the Gréng Lëscht Ekologesch Initiativ (GLEI) - (Green list ecological initiative) and the Gréng Alternativ Partei (GAP) - (Green alternative party) ran for 1989 elections. Both received 2 seats independently.
5. ^ The same two parties also ran for 1989 elections to the European parliament. Therefore, neither the one, nor the other received enough votes to get a mandate.
6. ^ In 1995 Jup Weber left the re-unified Green Party. Therefore déi gréng lost their seat in the EU-Parliament.
7. ^ Fréderique Moser: "Les Verts/déi Gréng. Changer plus vite les choses"; dans: PaperJam, p. 68ff; Septembre/Octobre 2008; Luxembourg

External links

• déi gréng official website