On March 27, the important German state of Baden-Wuerttenberg held an election for state office, in which the Green Party did very well. As a result of the election, the Green Party gained its first premier in any German state. He is Winfried Kretschmann, and he is already involved in the thick of making tough governing decisions. See this story. It concerns the controversy over whether the Stuttgart railroad station should be rebuilt underground. Kretschmann opposes the project but will support allowing a referendum to decide what to do.
A very decisive PUNT.
More direct Democracy at least for the voters.
The success of the “True Finns” party in the recent Finnish elections is of more consequence:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/finland/8456051/Timo-Soini-The-Finnish-bear-mauling-the-EUs-bailout-plans.htm
I’m not quite sure, Neo-Nazism has been in Europe for a few decades, gains by Greens and other green affiliated groups getting into parliaments and in this case State Government is still a relatively new thing.
Greens are just the dressed-down wing of the globalist establishment. You’ll notice that they support the policy of endless bailouts that prevails on both sides of the Atlantic. The idea that they support anything resembling sustainability is laughable: They are for unlimited immigration and sustainability is impossible without zero population growth. ZPG is not sufficient-but it *is* a precondition. See Prof. Al Bartlett’s website for numerous articles and videos explaining this.
The views of a Canadian professor born in Finland:
http://fourthcheckraise.blogspot.com/2011/04/plurality-of-normos.html
“The True Finns party, the huge winner of the 2011 Finnish parliamentary elections, illustrates that the traditional left-right division of political parties is kaput. This populist party unabashedly advocates the cause of and what is good for a normal honest Finnish person from the bottom half of the bell curve. Sometimes this cause is best served with “right-wing” ideas (less immigration, strong law enforcement, simple and clear rules, societal and cultural support for productive basic values), and sometimes “left-wing” (protectionism, generous social safety net). Since all modern leftism, especially of the Green party variety, is but a status signaling device for the educated can’t-do crowd unable to signal their status with traditional material status symbols but still anxious to distinguish themselves from those filthy proles, it is de rigueur for these obedient members of the Outer Party desperately looking for an “in” to show their tribal membership by sneering at those below them and refusing to sit at the same high school lunch table, even in the issues where these two would be natural allies. And all the while these wannabe elites have to flawlessly maintain the facade that they don’t believe that there are intelligence differences between people and groups, and not have their brains escape out of their ears from the sheer pain of cognitive dissonance.”
ICR, with all do respect, you need more accurate information regarding the German Green Party.
Baden Wuerttemburg, where I studied 30 years ago, and attended the Green Party convention in Freiburg in November 2010, is Germany’s economic engine. 38 per cent of German industry is headquartered there. It is the richest of the 16 German states. BW. That single German state has a larger population than all of Finnland.
I know Winfried Kretschmann. At Independent Green Party News, we’ve reported extensively on all of this.
http://www.votejoinrun.us/2011.04.01_arch.html
You can see my interview with the Governor-elect (which I think is a better more correct translation of Minister Praesidant, and it is the translation der Spiegel is using in the English editions), see my video interview at the IndependentGreens Youtube channel.
http://www.youtube.com/user/IndependentGreens?feature=mhum#p/u
Winfried is a values conservative Green Party member. Married to the same lovely lady 40 years. Three children. A catholic, in fact, a member of the local church choir for decades.
Since 2005 the German Green Party has grown, and increased their vote. In 2010, almost a year ago the Green Party started polling in the 20 per cent range. All 2010 state elections saw the Green Party leap in popularity and votes. Sachsen Anhalt, Hessen, Rheinland Pfalz, and finally BW.
This weekend’s polling – you can see in more detail at Independent Green Party News – shows the Green Party in Berlin at 30 per cent. The strongest party. Nationwide the Green Party is at 28 per cent, just 2 per cent behind Merkel’s CDU.
The Green Party is see as the most believeable, reliable, trustworthy of all political parties.
The Green Party 30 year record in government at local, state and federal levels shows a party dedicated to “Inhalte” i.e. issues, and policy content.
The Green New Deal – the emphasis of growing solar, wind, geothermal, and renewable energy, has had a very provable positive result on the German economy.
Germans recognize – polling proves this – the renewable jobs have continued to grow, and been the most stable industry through the banking crisis.
Add to that a vast stable of experienced, talented, Green Party politicans that have served at all levels, and the Green Party success is easy to understand.
German Greens have warned about the dangers, and costs of nuclear for 30 years. Now the German public, and voters, not only understand, but are voting for the Green Party.
Coming state elections in Germany – May in Bremen, first week of September in Mecklenberg Vorpommen (that’s the state north of Berlin) are important for continued Green Party growth.
The Green Party is polling a record high 22 per cent in Bremen, where they already are in a coalition government, and the Green Senator Loscke is doing great work with innovative transportation solutions.
MV will be the real test. It is the only state legislature where the Green Party does not have elected members. Greens are polling 10 per cent. That’s twice the five per cent they need to get into the state legislature. If Greens get to 15 per cent in MV they could likely help govern in a coaltion.
As of just this week the German Green Party has 55,555 (see press release) dues paying members. A jump from what had been about 46,000..
As to Finland, the Green Party received 7.1 per cent of the vote. They will have 10 members in the federal parliament that has a total of 200 members.
The Green Party in Finnland was in the previous centrist governing coalition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg_state_election,_2011
Baden-Württemberg state election, 2011
Wiki
Germany has survived since 1949 with P.R. – about 95 percent accurate.
U.S.A. – in the political science STONE AGE — ANTI-Democracy minority rule gerrymanders – about 30 percent minority rule by FANATIC left Donkeys or right Elephants.
Pingback: First Green Party State Premier in Germany in the Limelight | ThirdPartyPolitics.us