Remettre la démocratie au centre du projet politique

The text examines the role of political ecology in promoting autonomy and 'plausible utopias' while critiquing the current state of European politics. The author highlights a 'monstrous complementarity' between conformist and extremist conservatism in Europe, which marginalizes progressive voices and limits the impact of green parties. Using the 2013 vote on the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework as an example, the author illustrates how major parties (Conservatives, Socialists, and Liberals) often align on conservative budgets, leaving the Greens' opposition ineffective. The document concludes that the crisis of legitimacy in European and national institutions requires a fundamental rethinking of political parties, suggesting they become more permeable structures that prioritize democratic risk and ideological pluralism over rigid organizational traditions.

• Political ecology possesses an emancipatory potential based on autonomy, which is defined as a form of self-government linked to an awareness of limits and a critical questioning of imposed production and consumption patterns.
• The author identifies a trend in Europe where a 'monstrous complementarity' exists between acceptable conformist conservatism and nauseating extremist conservatism, which together shrink the space for enlightened discourse.
• The limited electoral impact of green parties is exemplified by the July 2013 vote on the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework, where the three major parties (Conservatives, Socialists, and Liberals) accepted a conservative budget, effectively neutralizing the opposition of the Greens, who held less than 8% of the European Parliament.
• There is a deep crisis of legitimacy affecting both European institutions and national political orders, characterized by a distrust of representative democratic institutions and a political class that operates in a detached or 'hors-sol' manner.
• To remain relevant, green parties must undergo an open transformation to become structures that are 'permeable to life,' moving away from rigid organizational models that no longer meet the expectations of individuals who prefer punctual engagement over party dedication.

APA

Cohn-Bendit, D. (2014). Remettre la démocratie au centre du projet politique. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/remettre-la-democratie-au-centre-du-projet-politique/

Chicago

Cohn-Bendit, Daniel. Remettre la démocratie au centre du projet politique. Green European Journal, 2014. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/remettre-la-democratie-au-centre-du-projet-politique/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Cohn-Bendit |first1=Daniel |title=Remettre la démocratie au centre du projet politique |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 August 2014 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/remettre-la-democratie-au-centre-du-projet-politique/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cohnbendit2014remettre, author = {Cohn-Bendit, Daniel}, title = {{Remettre la démocratie au centre du projet politique}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2014}, month = aug, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/remettre-la-democratie-au-centre-du-projet-politique/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }