The second print edition of the Green European Journal has a special focus on democracy and what it means for Greens – both as an ideal in the political imaginary and as an organising principle in the day-to-day workings of parties, foundations and informal civil society groups.
The articles in this edition fall into three main categories: a discussion on democratic principles; the role of Green foundations; and various democratic initiatives and experiments.
01.08.2014
From a Green Reboot of Democracy to a Democratic Reboot of the Greens
In recent years, the volume of articles and books dedicated to the democratic crisis has been constantly expanding. The same is true of the literature addressing the ecological crisis. Yet a simultaneous reflection both on the ecological and on the democratic crisis has not accompanied this proliferation.
Read more
01.08.2014
Beyond Political Parties
The specificity of ‘democratic radicality’ is by no means a bulwark for the Greens against developments or rationales that run counter to this ‘democratic requirement.’
Read more
01.08.2014
Europe’s Unfinished Democracy
Old Europe is disaggregating. The new Europe, which has long been a reality in the mind of many European citizens, is waiting for its constitution, one that will effectively take us into the future.
Read more
01.08.2014
Democratic Dispossession
The economic crisis and the democracy crisis share some of the same causes: redefining the ideal of democracy, the impotence of current regulatory methods in the face of collective decision-making, and a crisis within political programmes.
Read more
01.08.2014
For an Ecological Democracy
Modern representative democracy is not conducive to handling environmental challenges. Ecology requires new political institutions capable of tackling long-term concerns.
Read more
01.08.2014
Populism, Sustainability, Democracy
Before investing excessive hope in radical participatory solutions we need to re-examine established beliefs about democracy and sustainability and their mutual relationship.
Read more
01.08.2014
The Democratisation of All Areas of Life
The coming upheaval in our ways of living and working will require us to live an ecological lifestyle based on new forms of democratic participation that enable us to collectively and comprehensively reshape our social and physical environment.
Read more
01.08.2014
A Foundation for the Green Democratic Recovery
The European Elections, held in tandem with local elections, proved to be a turning point for the Irish Greens. It was a real comeback at local level, particularly in Dublin, and came desperately close to electing an MEP. Green Foundation Ireland (GFI) has played a real part in this recovery.
Read more
01.08.2014
Re-Engineering Politics Through Civil Society
Given the current political climate, it behoves ecologists to thrust imagination, innovation and experimentation to the forefront of political action and thought. This requires a “benevolent distance” between the Green foundations and the Green parties.
Read more
01.08.2014
Democracy in Sweden: Firmly Rooted?
While seeming solid, democracy in Sweden faces serious challenges, such as the rise of populism and voter disengagement. In this context, green foundations are well-placed to propose new initiatives that may help re-engage citizens in the political process, notably through structural changes.
Read more
01.08.2014
The Crisis of the Fifth Republic
The Fifth Republic in France has become characterised by an increasingly narrow political class, while the political engagement of citizens has plummeted. The EU has not succeeded in improving these weaknesses in democracy, which can only be surmounted through a successful campaign for deep reform: a transition to the Sixth Republic.
Read more
01.08.2014
The Finnish Citizens’ Initiative: Changing the Agenda
In an unprecedented step towards direct democracy, Finland adopted a national Citizens’ Initiative law in March 2012. Although it has succeeded in opening debates in the national parliament on a number of issues, serious questions remain over whether citizens really have the power to effect change through the tool.
Read more
01.08.2014
Hacking Into Congress
Agora Voting is an innovative project using free software to establish social citizen networks for the development of a system for secure electronic voting. Spanish Green party Equo collaborated on this project to carry out Spain’s first real experiment with direct democracy.
Read more
01.08.2014
The Next Democratic Revolution: From the Green Primary to European Lists
The Green Primary was an unprecedented democratic experiment at a European level. It allowed green sympathisers everywhere in Europe to participate in the process of selecting the leading candidates of the European Green Party in the May 2014 European elections. A transnational assessment of the primary from the perspectives of France, Germany and Spain.
Read more