From a Green Reboot of Democracy to a Democratic Reboot of the Greens

The text examines the 'sustainability of democracy' through two lenses: the long-term viability of democratic systems and the ability of representative systems to address ecological needs and the rights of future generations. It identifies worrisome trends in European elections, including low voter turnout and the rise of populist and authoritarian tendencies, which it suggests were accentuated by the economic and financial crisis. The author argues that Green political foundations are uniquely positioned to lead a 'democratic reboot' because their autonomy from political parties allows them to engage more effectively with diverse social and democratic movements. The document emphasizes that any reform of democratic institutions must account for the structural social and anthropological changes in post-industrial societies that have occurred between 1980 and 2014.

• European elections have revealed several concerning trends, including low voter turnout (particularly in newer member states), the success of populist and anti-democratic parties, and a narrowing of pluralism in debates.
• The document posits that the 'sustainability of democracy' involves both the capacity of democratic systems to be transmitted to future generations and the ability of representative systems to address ecological challenges and the rights of those future generations.
• Green political foundations are identified as key actors for a 'democratic reboot'—the re-invention and re-launching of democracy—because their autonomy from parties enables better dialogue with dissatisfied social and democratic movements.
• Between 1980 and 2014, the scale of ecological problems expanded and the conditions for political commitment were transformed by the cultural evolution of post-industrial societies; the text argues that reforms ignoring these structural changes are destined to fail.

APA

Lechat, B. (2014). From a Green Reboot of Democracy to a Democratic Reboot of the Greens. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/from-a-green-reboot-of-democracy-to-a-democratic-reboot-of-the-greens/

Chicago

Lechat, Benoît. From a Green Reboot of Democracy to a Democratic Reboot of the Greens. Green European Journal, 2014. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/from-a-green-reboot-of-democracy-to-a-democratic-reboot-of-the-greens/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lechat |first1=Benoît |title=From a Green Reboot of Democracy to a Democratic Reboot of the Greens |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 August 2014 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/from-a-green-reboot-of-democracy-to-a-democratic-reboot-of-the-greens/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lechat2014from, author = {Lechat, Benoît}, title = {{From a Green Reboot of Democracy to a Democratic Reboot of the Greens}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2014}, month = aug, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/from-a-green-reboot-of-democracy-to-a-democratic-reboot-of-the-greens/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }