With the last European elections 10 more members than with the elections in 2004 for the Green/EFA Group will take place in the European Parliament which accounts for a 23,5% increase of Green representation in the EP. The Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) would like to thank all youngsters who went to vote and especially the ones who thought Big, voted Green and thereby expressed their wishes to further strive towards a progressive and ecological alternative to our old model of society1.
Not only are the Greens the only political group in which more women have been elected than men2, it is also the political party in which many young representatives have been elected. This powerful youth green team will shake up this institution and undoubtedly do their utmost best to bring this still unpopular institution closer to young people all over Europe. Ska Keller (27), Franziska Brantner (29), Jan-Philip Albrecht (26) from Germany and Karima Delli (28) from France are the ones who will make the young voices heard. FYEG believes that their participation in the decision-making processes is of the utmost value, not only for youngsters but for the whole of Europe, because of their different perspectives and progressive visions.
Unfortunately these elections also revealed two problematical issues. The first one being the low turn-out rate, breaking the record of abstention (57%) since the European Parliament has hold elections. This result is disturbing and once again shows the democratic deficit that the European institutions suffer from. It is sad that both media, nation-states and most of the other political parties do not seem to take their responsibility and properly explain the EU to the citizens, but instead present it as an uncontrollable monster that infiltrates in national affairs. FYEG distances itself from this and will continue to spread a fair representation of the EU and its value and hopes that other parties will join them in the soon future.
The second one is that unfortunately the Green MEP’s are faced with a Blue-Brown wave of conservatives, extremists and nationalists which will compose 56% of the parliament. This situation makes it all the more important for the Young European Greens to commit themselves to fight against politicians who use fear as a political instrument rather than to face the complexity of today’s society and to constructively work on creating a common respectful future.
Finally however, this new legislature brings hope for young people that with a stronger Green presence in the parliament, justice for all human beings and its essential environment will be even harder and more effectively fought for than in prior years. They will green up this grey institution!