Where next for the French Greens?

Following the 2019 European elections, Europe Écologie Les Verts (EELV) emerged as a significant independent force in France, securing 13.5% of the vote. The author argues that the party's success was driven by its refusal to merge into a united left-wing list and the influence of widespread climate protests. The text contrasts the Greens' approach with 'neo-populism'—seen in the Rassemblement National (RN) and La France Insoumise (LFI)—which the author claims is ill-suited for democratic self-organisation. The document concludes that a modern French left must be built around political ecology, integrating social justice with a responsibility toward nature and future generations.

• In the 2019 European elections, the Rassemblement National (RN) finished first with 23 per cent of the vote, followed by La République En Marche (LREM) with 22 per cent.
• Europe Écologie Les Verts (EELV) saw an electoral recovery, gaining 13.5 per cent of the vote, which was a 4.5 per cent increase compared to the 2014 elections.
• The success of the French Greens is attributed to their decision to remain an independent force rather than joining a united left-wing list, as well as the impact of climate demonstrations and strikes.
• The author identifies a 'neo-populist' style across the political spectrum (including RN, LFI, and Macron) that relies on leaders claiming to represent 'the people' against 'elites' while bypassing civil society organisations.
• Left-wing populism, specifically La France Insoumise (LFI), is described as failing to harness the gilets jaunes movement due to contradictions between its leadership style and the goal of people's self-organisation.
• The author argues that the traditional right/left divide is increasingly viewed as obsolete by the public, with 75 per cent of people believing it no longer makes sense.
• The document asserts that a viable 21st-century left in France must be centered on political ecology, combining democratic and social values with environmental responsibility.

APA

Lipietz, A. (2019). Where next for the French Greens? Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/where-next-for-the-french-greens/

Chicago

Lipietz, Alain. Where next for the French Greens? Green European Journal, 2019. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/where-next-for-the-french-greens/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lipietz |first1=Alain |title=Where next for the French Greens? |publisher=Green European Journal |date=17 October 2019 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/where-next-for-the-french-greens/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lipietz2019where, author = {Lipietz, Alain}, title = {{Where next for the French Greens?}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2019}, month = oct, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/where-next-for-the-french-greens/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }