Green European Journal

The Green European Journal (July 2015) examines the systemic failures of the EU, including the Greek debt crisis, the refugee crisis, and the dominance of neoliberal technocracy. It advocates for a 'radicalisation of democracy' and a transition toward a degrowth economy. The document critiques the EU's climate contributions for COP 21 as insufficiently ambitious and calls for a reduction in energy dependency on Russia. It emphasizes the need for Green parties to reconnect with grassroots social movements and a 'trans-European' approach to identity and politics.

• The European Union is characterized as a 'post-democracy' where decision-making is driven by technocrats and neoliberal orthodoxy, marginalizing the voices of voters and political projects.
• The EU's intended nationally determined contribution (INDC) for COP 21 is criticized for being based on a 2030 target of 'at least 40%' emissions reductions, which is viewed as not ambitious enough to make a fair global contribution and potentially compromised by the inclusion of the LULUCF sector.
• The EU's energy security is compromised by an 'extreme dependency' on Russian fossil fuels and nuclear investments, with some member states like Finland and Hungary continuing to use Russian financial sources and technology for nuclear plants.
• The document proposes a 'degrowth' economic model to replace the obsession with GDP growth, including ten specific policies such as a citizen debt audit, a 32-hour working week, a basic income of 400-600 Euros per month, and a 90% tax rate on the highest incomes.
• The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is viewed as a risk to European internal unity and a potential 'divide and conquer' strategy by the US, with a fundamental clash between Europe's 'precautionary principle' and the US 'litigation after damage' approach.
• The EU's approach to the Maghreb region is criticized for treating migrants as criminals and ignoring the link between environmental degradation and migration, with an estimated 250 million environmental refugees possible by 2050.
• The monetary union is described as fundamentally flawed because it lacks a corresponding fiscal and social union, meaning no monetary union is possible without financial transfers from richer to poorer regions.
• Green parties are urged to move beyond being 'parties of elected officials' and return to their roots in activism to avoid becoming too institutionalized and disconnected from grassroots movements.

APA

Green European Journal (2015). Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Third_Print_Edition.pdf

Chicago

Green European Journal. Green European Journal. 2015. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Third_Print_Edition.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green European Journal |title=Green European Journal |date=July 2015 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Third_Print_Edition.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greeneuropeanjournal2015green, author = {{Green European Journal}}, title = {{Green European Journal}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2015}, month = jul, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Third_Print_Edition.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }