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The Ecologists – Europe Ecology The Greens (), commonly known as The Ecologists (, LE) and formerly as Europe Ecology The Greens ( , EELV ) until 2023, is a centre-left to left-wing Green politics political party in France. The party is a member of the European Green Party. It was formed on 13 November 2010 from the merger of The Greens and Europe Ecology.
EE was successful in the 2009 European elections on 7 June 2009, reaching third place in France with 16.3% of the vote, only a few thousand votes behind the Socialist Party (PS), winning 14 of France's 72 seats in the European Parliament. The experience led to further attempts to expand the French green movement, ahead of the 2010 regional elections. Europe Ecology ran independent lists in the first round in every region, once again with the participation of new activists including Philippe Meirieu, Laurence Vichnievsky or Augustin Legrand. While they fell short of their 2009 success, EE nevertheless managed to win 12.5% of the vote nationally (third place).
The Greens and those new activists who joined the movement by way of EE – but who did not wish to join the party – began talks to allow for the creation of a new, enlarged political movement. In October and November 2010, EE and later The Greens ratified new statutes and a new manifesto. Notably, these new statutes allowed for "cooperators" - individuals who did not join the party as full paying members but who are nonetheless allowed to run as candidates, vote in presidential primaries and partake in debates over the platform.
The official launch of the new party, presented as a new political force, was held in Lyon on 9 November 2010. The new party adopted the name Europe Ecology – The Greens ( Europe Écologie Les Verts, EELV). However, the launch of the party was marked by tensions between longtime politicians from the former Green party and new activists from various non-political social movements. Jean-Paul Besset, for example, resigned all his leadership responsibilities in EELV within weeks and denounced a "poisonous Cold War atmosphere". Un responsable d'Europe Écologie claque la porte Le Point, 7 December 2010 A month later, Philippe Meirieu was named as the first president of the party's new federal council, created by the EELV statutes.
In the 2011 cantonal elections, EELV won 8.2% of the vote nationally – becoming the third largest force on the left behind the PS and Left Front (FG). Although the traditional runoff deals were sealed with both of these parties, some EELV candidates qualified for the runoff against other left-wing candidates did not withdraw, creating tensions with EELV's traditional left-wing allies. Cantonales : la gauche boucle les négociations dans la douleur L'Express, 22 March 2011 Ultimately, EELV won 27 seats, 16 more seats than what the Greens had won in the same series of cantons in 2004.
A presidential primary to nominate a candidate for the 2012 presidential election, open to members and cooperators, was held in June and July 2011. Four candidates sought the EELV nomination, most notably Eva Joly, an MEP and Nicolas Hulot, a well known TV personality and environmentalist. Joly emerged victorious in the runoff on 12 July with 58.16%. Primaire écolo : Joly gagne avec 58,16% Le Figaro, 12 July 2011
In the 2011 senatorial elections, an agreement with the PS allowed for the first left senatorial majority under the Fifth Republic and the creation of the first entirely green parliamentary group.
On 15 November 2011, EELV and the PS signed a coalition agreement prior to the 2012 presidential election. The agreement included a commitment to reduce the share of nuclear energy in France from 75% to 50% by 2025, the progressive shutdown of 24 nuclear reactors, the creation of a carbon tax and raising taxes on very high incomes. The agreement also included an ad hoc electoral deal for the 2012 legislative elections in which the PS conceded over 60 constituencies to EELV, which would allow EELV to form a parliamentary group. Les principaux points de l'accord PS-EELV Le Monde, 16 November 2011 On 8 May 2012, following the left's victory with François Hollande, EELV's federal council voted in favour of cabinet participation in the new left-wing government. Les Verts votent pour une participation à un gouvernement Hollande, Le Figaro, 8 May 2012
In the 2012 legislative elections, EELV candidates won 5.46% nationally and elected a record 17 deputies (in addition to one member of the regionalist Breton Democratic Union, backed by EELV). However, every EELV deputy who was victorious had benefited from the endorsement of the PS, although many faced local PS dissidents.
In the government of Jean-Marc Ayrault formed on 16 May 2012, EELV has two cabinet ministers: former party leader Cécile Duflot as minister of housing and territorial equality, and former MEP Pascal Canfin as junior minister for international development.
In the 2014 European elections on 25 May 2014, EELV received 8.95% of the vote, sixth place nationally, returning 6 MEPs.
Following the success of the 2019 European elections, the polls for the municipal elections predict good results for EELV. Thus, cities like Rouen, Villeurbanne, Strasbourg, Besançon or Lille are considered as being able to be won. On the evening of the first round, around twenty environmentalist lists won the elections in the first round (including outgoing mayors such as in Schiltigheim), and EELV came out on top in several large cities (Besançon, Lyon, Strasbourg or Grenoble), or second but favorite in others (Bordeaux, Poitiers). The scores are however disappointing in several big cities like Paris, Nîmes, Montpellier or Marseille. In the latter, however, the EELV's list (8% in the first round) merges with the union list of the left which came in first (23%), moreover led by an environmental candidate from but suspended from the party, Michèle Rubirola.
The second round confirms these good scores since the party wins the municipalities of Lyon, Strasbourg and Bordeaux, the latter not having known alternation since 1945, but also Besançon, Tours, Poitiers and Grenoble. The candidates of Lille and Metz both suffer a narrow loss of 200 votes, respectively against and with the Socialist Party. The Rouen and Villeurbanne's lists join those of the Socialist Party, both elected, like that of Marseille.
In October 2022, The New Democrats merged into EELV. In October 2023, EELV changed its name to The Ecologists.
On economic issues, EELV leans strongly to the left. Besides the creation of 'green jobs' in fields such as thermal isolation and renewable energies, it also supports a carbon tax and raising the Progressive tax levels for high earners (60% for incomes between €100,000 and €500,000, 70% for incomes over €500,000). EELV is close to some anti-capitalism and many alter-globalisation activists. In its alternative budget in 2011, EELV proposed to reduce the public debt by closing fiscal loopholes.
The party has traditionally supported European federalism, although many of its European policies are in conflict with the current direction and leadership of the European Union. EELV, like the Greens before it, has been one of the strongest proponents of decentralisation, officially supporting "differentiated federalism" which would devolve significant powers to the regions of France. The regionalist federation Régions et Peuples Solidaires has long been closely allied to the green movement in France. François Alfonsi of the Party of the Corsican Nation (PNC) was elected to the European Parliament on an EE list in 2009.
The green movement supports political reform, including voting rights for foreigners in both local and national elections, abolishing the cumul des mandats, term limits and a 'Sixth Republic' with a more powers for the parliament and direct democracy. The greens have long promoted gender equality in politics, its leadership and electoral candidates tend to respect gender parity and the EELV group in the French National Assembly has two co-presidents, one male and one female.
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