The Rise and Fall of a Green Party: The Greek Ecologist Greens ( ) Vasilis Leontitsis Sheffield, 01 April 2015 PSA 65th Annual International Conference

Research questions  Why did the Ecologist Greens become the most successful Green party in the history of Greece?  Why didn’t it achieve a breakthrough in the end?  What are the reasons for the party’s subsequent demise?

Methodology  Fieldwork June 2015: A number of interviews with previous and current high ranking members of the Green Party (in both Athens and Thessaloniki).  Party elections manifestos, newspaper articles, party press releases.  Analysis of national pre-election surveys.  Secondary literature: Extremely limited.

Theoretical Framework  Historical Institutionalism (Particularly elements related to path dependence and timing)  Inglehart (1977; 1990; 1997) (Post-materialist political culture)  Kitschelt (1989) (A theoretical framework for Green parties and their evolution - Realos vs. Fundis (?); Problematic in the EG’s case – See later)

A short history of Green party politics in Greece  PREHISTORY  1970s: Small scale environmental protests linked to local issues (Megara – 1973, Karystos )  Chernobyl disaster (1986) acting as a catalyst  Efforts to co-ordinate the environmental movement (Tsepelovo meeting 1987)

A short history of Green party politics in Greece  THE FEDERATION OF ECOLOGIST ALTERNATIVES (FEA)  1989: Foundation of FEA  November 1989 National Elections: 0.58% - 1MP  April 1990 National Elections: 0.77% - 1MP  1992: The party dissolves

A short history of Green party politics in Greece  REASONS FOR THE DOWNFALL OF FEA  Nebulous ideology  Made up of a number of extremely diverse groups  Organizational issues (direct representation, rotation etc.)  Prospects of taking part in a Left coalition government  The “Macedonian” issue

A short history of Green party politics in Greece  THE ECOLOGIST GREENS  Founded in  Did not contest the 2004 national elections.  It started participating in the national elections from 2007 onwards.  Some initial electoral success reaching its peak in the 2009 European elections.

National Elections Results Year May 2012 June Result1.05%2.53%2.93%0.88%Supported SYRIZA

European Elections Results Year Result0.67%3.49%0.90%

 EXTERNAL FACTORS  Initially favourable: Great dissatisfaction with the established political parties (PASOK, ND).  New protest parties soon fill in the vacuum – Especially SYRIZA.  Increasing environmental awareness (see forest fires – 2007).  Later on the economic crisis becomes the dominant issue.  3% threshold – The party fails to surpass. Wasted vote (?) Preliminary Findings (1)

Preliminary Findings (2)  INTERNAL FACTORS (similarities to FEA)  Unclear and contrasting ideology (Left or Centre)  Vague response to the economic crisis (De growth and anti-austerity)  Continuous organizational misgivings (i.e. lack of clear leadership, issues related to party membership)  Acute fragmentation (fratricide wars between different groups)  Continuous party quarrels based on selfish and self-promoting behaviour (self-promotion and political games vs. ideology or pragmatism) – Party splits

Conclusions  A window of opportunity opened (2007 onwards) that the party did not exploit. (The end of the Metapolitefsis (end of the two-party system + fragmentation) did not benefit the Greens)  Material   Post-material  Realos vs. Fundis ✗ (Personal ambitions + party dominance politics)

THANK YOU