Where could the Greens have become the main center-left party by now?

It seems like we occasionally hear stories about Green parties growing in stature, younger voters being more pro-environment and more likely to prioritize it as top issue, and yet I can't think of any examples of a Green party leading the government (though it seems like it's now at least possible in Iceland, where the Left-Green Movement finished second in the election over the weekend). Are there plausible scenarios where the Green party in other countries could have become the primary voice of the center-left and in position to lead a government by now?

Aside from Iceland and the Netherlands, the one I can think of off the top of my head is if the 2005-09 German Grand Coalition had ended up governing as a more uncompromisingly center-right administration with the SPD being dragged into supporting almost all of the CDU/CSU's traditional agenda, while the Greens successfully dissociate themselves from the more unpalatable aspects of the Schroder government's record. This doesn't enable them to win in 2009, but maybe they gobble up a considerable portion of the former SPD vote as well as some of Die Linke's constituency, finishing with 20-25% of the vote, becoming the main opposition party outside the subsequent CDU/CSU-FDP coalition and being seen as the primary alternative to Merkel in the 2013 and/or 2017 elections. But maybe similar scenarios are possible in other countries whose politics I just don't know very well?

(Of course, I suppose the more unpleasant possibility is that, just as austerity fueled the rise of parties like SYRIZA, Podemos, Five Star Movement, and Sinn Fein, the Greens might see their support rise as the effects of climate change become more severe and pervasive.)
 
Well, the Greens actually had a Prime Minister in Latvia--but the Latvian Greens are considered center-right. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_Green_Party In Lithuania, the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_Farmers_and_Greens_Union is the largest in Parliament. They are considered a centrist party and are members of the Greens-European Free Alliance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greens–European_Free_Alliance (though they considered joining the European People's Party group instead). So it is a mistake to see all Green Parties as left or even center-left.
 
Well, the Greens actually had a Prime Minister in Latvia--but the Latvian Greens are considered center-right. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_Green_Party In Lithuania, the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_Farmers_and_Greens_Union is the largest in Parliament. They are considered a centrist party and are members of the Greens-European Free Alliance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greens–European_Free_Alliance (though they considered joining the European People's Party group instead). So it is a mistake to see all Green Parties as left or even center-left.

Thanks, I'd forgotten about the Baltics. Though given those parties' ideological predilections, they wouldn't really be eclipsing an established center-left party in the manner I had in mind.

Wow, that went pretty fast... did they do something special?

Well, looking at those numbers, there have actually only been three polls showing them ahead of the Social Democrats, and one of them was by 0.2%. They did pick a new leader in June, but the SDP seem to have been sliding a bit even before that happened. The Centre Party have also declined 4-5 points from where they were at the end of 2016. Past that, I don't know enough about Finnish politics to say.
 
The ruling coalition parties have had their share of bad publicity and unpopular decisions, while the other opposition parties have been hindered with their own problems.

A string of two young(ish) male leaders in a party with an image of urban educated young women has also helped.

The Finnish Greens have gradually moved to the middle, right-liberal (by Finnish standards) direction, aligning themselves as a parner of the National Coalition, a Market Liberal party that has been in most governments for the past three decades. Greens are already the second-largest party at Helsinki as well.

The Helsinki City Council has 85 seats. The seats are distributed as follows on the new City Council:
  • National Coalition Party 25
  • Green League 21
  • Social Democratic Party of Finland 12
  • Left Alliance 10
  • Finns Party 6
  • Swedish People’s Party of Finland 5
  • Centre Party 2
  • Christian Democrats of Finland 2
  • Feminist Party 1
  • Pirate Party 1
 
Wow, that went pretty fast... did they do something special?

They have been very effective in the opposition, to the extent that they have been even called the main opposition party instead of the SDP by some observers. The Greens have been also able to create more an image of general issue party, instead of solely concentrating on environmental issues. At the same time the SDP suffers from infighting and low morale among its supporters.

Like Karelian mentions above though, the Finnish Greens are more a centrist party than they are left-wing.
 
The Greens are not always lefty. In the US, yes, they are, as in most of the Anglosphere. But the German Greens are somewhat centrist economically speaking, and I think the BC Provincial Greens in Canada are kind of centrist to centre-right on the economy.

Most of this comes down to demographics. The Green movement in many countries has a somewhat bourgeoisie following as opposed to the more working class Social Democrats, and this is reflected in their economic views. In other areas, it is a movement of college students and people who have not moved on from the 60s yet, and therefore is a bit further left.

If I had to pick an area, it would be Germany, due to a farther left SPD making the Greens the defacto centre left party against the right wing liberal FDP (fiscally speaking) and the centre right CDU/CSU.
 

James G

Gone Fishin'
French greens are the worst assholes in the entire world. Burn in hell, Cecile Duflot and Vincent Placé. Morons.

Why do you continue to do this? Last week it was wishing cancer on someone you didn't politically and now you are making this remark about two people who don't share your views.
What is wrong with you? Please cease this. This forum isn't for this type of behaviour.
 

Archibald

Banned
This is unfair. Completely unfair. The two things are unrelated. My comment about Atwater was horrible, and I deleted it. But the french greens, really, are just what I describe. The real French ecologist with convictions is Nicolas Hulot. Also José Bové and Daniel Cohn Bendit. They are real ecologists with solid convictions. People like Duflot, Placé are rabid politicians.
 
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. . . have been even called the main opposition party instead of the SDP by some observers. The Greens have been also able to create more an image of general issue party, . . .

The U.S. Green Party has its ten key values which include:

http://www.gp.org/four_pillars_ten_key_values

6. COMMUNITY-BASED ECONOMICS AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE

'We recognize it is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance. A successful economic system will offer meaningful work with dignity, while paying a "living wage" which reflects the real value of a person's work. . . '
I'd add that the total number of jobs also matters. Because when corporations have to hustle for employees (very rare!), wages get bid up on their own, and companies also take steps to improve working conditions on their own.

I'd also emphasize that this emphasis on "philosophy" is too much like U.S. conservatives! The thought is, if only we get the philosophy right, everything else will flow like water. The alternative is a healthy interplay between theory and practice, including sometimes changing theory on the basis of practice (very rare!)
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
Why do you continue to do this? Last week it was wishing cancer on someone you didn't politically and now you are making this remark about two people who don't share your views.
What is wrong with you? Please cease this. This forum isn't for this type of behaviour.
Don't start an argument.

Use the report button.
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
French greens are the worst assholes in the entire world. Burn in hell, Cecile Duflot and Vincent Placé. Morons.
Starting to get REALLY tired of seeing your username on reports, especially for current politics outside of Chat.
 

Archibald

Banned
Bar the crude words (sorry if they shocked some ears and eyes) I stand on my position. The French greens are a lost cause (to say it politely)
There is a reason why Nicolas Hulot hesitated so much before going into politics. I can understand he was disgusted by EELV (the French greens, not the rocket).
 
what about Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989?

The Soviet client states did not do a good job on environmental issues. And if a new party was advocating for both economic growth and environmental protection, they might get at least a listen to.
 

samcster94

Banned
what about Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989?

The Soviet client states did not do a good job on environmental issues. And if a new party was advocating for both economic growth and environmental protection, they might get at least a listen to.
Latvia was mentioned before
 
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