Debating in the maelstrom: Do the Greens have the answers to the crisis?

The document argues that the Eurozone crisis is a symptom of a failing 'liberal-productivist' economic model and a lack of democratic legitimacy in EU governance. It proposes a 'Green New Deal' focusing on renewable energy, financial re-regulation, and social justice to replace GDP-centric growth. Specific analyses cover the structural failures of austerity in Portugal, the political shift toward majoritarian nationalism in Hungary, and the need for a transnational European public sphere to foster solidarity and democratic reform.

• The current economic crisis is viewed as the collapse of a 'liberal-productivist' model that prioritizes GDP growth and consumption, which is fundamentally incompatible with the planet's limited resources.
• The 'Green New Deal' is proposed as a three-pillar strategy: re-regulating financial markets to reduce imbalances, implementing green industrial policies for renewable energy and climate protection, and achieving a 'new social balance' through distributive justice and quality jobs.
• In Germany, the transition to a low-carbon economy is framed as a 'third industrial revolution' that requires legally binding climate targets, such as a 40% emissions reduction by 2020 and 95% by 2050.
• Austerity policies in Portugal are criticized for being pro-cyclical and failing to address structural weaknesses, such as low education levels and a low-value-added industrial profile, potentially destroying the pillars of a decent society.
• The political situation in Hungary under Viktor Orbán is characterized as a 'sovereignist' move to dismantle checks-and-balances and strengthen a 'national bourgeoisie' through the use of a flat tax and the marginalization of democratic opposition.
• The Eurozone crisis is attributed partly to the 'Eurozone model' and a lack of European leadership, which transformed a fiscal crisis in Greece into a deep social crisis through inefficient 'troika' recipes.
• Democratic legitimacy in the EU is considered weak because major decisions are made by governments 'behind closed doors' rather than through a transparent, institutionalized process involving citizens.
• A European identity is argued to exist not as a simple, static concept, but as a shared history of mutual conflict and a collective struggle between reason and barbarism.

APA

Lechat, B., Canfin, P., Lipietz, A., von Cramon-Taubadel, V., Chryzogelos, N., Mamede, R., Habermas, J., Zsombati, K., & Meijers, E. (2012). Debating in the maelstrom: Do the Greens have the answers to the crisis? Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Vol1.pdf

Chicago

Lechat, Benoit, Pascal Canfin, Alain Lipietz, Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, Nikos Chryzogelos, Ricardo Mamede, Jurgen Habermas, Kristof Zsombati, and Erica Meijers. Debating in the maelstrom: Do the Greens have the answers to the crisis? Green European Journal, 2012. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Vol1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lechat |first1=Benoit |last2=Canfin |first2=Pascal |last3=Lipietz |first3=Alain |last4=von Cramon-Taubadel |first4=Viola |last5=Chryzogelos |first5=Nikos |last6=Mamede |first6=Ricardo |last7=Habermas |first7=Jurgen |last8=Zsombati |first8=Kristof |last9=Meijers |first9=Erica |title=Debating in the maelstrom: Do the Greens have the answers to the crisis? |publisher=Green European Journal |date=February 2012 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Vol1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lechat2012debating, author = {Lechat, Benoit and Canfin, Pascal and Lipietz, Alain and von Cramon-Taubadel, Viola and Chryzogelos, Nikos and Mamede, Ricardo and Habermas, Jurgen and Zsombati, Kristof and Meijers, Erica}, title = {{Debating in the maelstrom: Do the Greens have the answers to the crisis?}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2012}, month = feb, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Vol1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }