Political Ecology

Placing our society and economy within an ecological framework will require a radical rethink of what ‘progress’ means as to date this has become synonymous with economic growth. This will mean a change in our relationship with technology and a rebuilding of our social relations.

As with every presidential election, France is addressing national issues and shrugging off those promoted by the Greens.

What does the growth/degrowth debate mean for a country like Croatia? Two decades after gaining independence following the collapse of the Yugoslav Republic, Croatia remains a country with economic and political problems. Is it possible for it to transition to a degrowth economy, and how would such a transition take place?

In Finland, Sairanen & Stenhäll’s book has been presented as an important stand to the discussion on how the economic sphere should be developed. It takes the position that no new green economic system is needed, rather we need to make hard decisions based on the current market economy.

The growth/degrowth debate should be put in perspective as the latest version of older cleavages between the Greens, like the eco-centric/anthropocentric dilemma.

The re-emergence of the debate on growth must not push the Greens towards fundamentalism. The idea is not to jump into a ‘back to the roots’ movement but rather to review a series of questions that have been left unanswered, without falling into the trap of false dilemmas. In this prospect, is the question of how to reduce inequality in Europe; with or without economic growth, maybe one of the most important?

The present crisis already appears to be as serious as the Great Depression of the Thirties, but what does it mean for the future of our economic system? And what is the Green alternative?

How do we get out of the crisis? That is the main question that political figures are being asked today right across Europe. Maybe the software of ecology is the best adapted to get us out of the crisis?

Our Editor-in-Chief, Benoit Lechat, discusses the first edition of the Green European Journal.