Green Party (Sweden)

Green Party Miljöpartiet de Gröna
Leader	Peter Eriksson Maria Wetterstrand (spokespersons)
Founded	6 December 1981
Headquarters	Pustegränd 1-3, Stockholm
Membership	10,635 (2009)[1]
Ideology	Green politics
International affiliation	Global Greens
European affiliation	European Green Party
European Parliament Group	European Greens - European Free Alliance
Official colours	Green
Parliament:
European Parliament:
Counties:[2]
Municipalities:[2]
Website
http://www.mp.se/
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The Green Party (Swedish: Miljöpartiet de Gröna, literally "The Environmental Party the Greens", and usually simply referred to in Sweden as Miljöpartiet: the "The Environmental Party") is a green political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1981 emerging out of the movement opposing nuclear power in a referendum held 1980. It won seats in the Parliament of Sweden for the first time in 1988, failed to pass the 4% cutoff in the following election in 1991, but returned again in 1994 and has held seats since, getting around 5% in every election. Currently, the party garners the most support among the young, female, urban and highly educated demographics.

The Green Party builds its ideology on the three solidarities: with animals, nature and the ecological system; with future generations; with all the world's people. The party took a stand against membership in the European Union and wanted a new referendum on the issue, though this policy was abolished in a September 2008 internal party referendum. However, the party remains predominantly EU-critical. The Greens support a phasing-out of nuclear energy in Sweden and hope to replace it with alternative, sustainable energy sources. The party further supports a general shift in taxation policy, towards high taxes on environmentally unfriendly or unsustainable products and activities, hoping to thus influence people's behavior towards the more sustainable. The Green Party was the first political party in Sweden to raise the issue of climate change.

The party is situated on the left on a left-right scale. It cooperates in a red-green coalition with the center-left Social Democrats and the left-wing Left Party since October 2008 and has vowed to cooperate with the Socialdemocrats until 2020^[3]. In several municipalities, however, the Greens cooperate with liberal parties, and the party does not define itself as left, nor right. Rather, they place themselves on one end of a scale between sustainability and growth. As of 2006^[update], the party is in opposition in Sweden, and its prioritized issues are climate change, anti-discrimination and equal rights.

Since the 2006 election the green party have got around 9 % and 10 % in the opinion polls.

In the European Parliament election, 2009 (Sweden), the green party received 11.02 % and elected 2 MEPs.

According to Aftonbladet and Expressen, The green party can get between 8 % and 11 % of the votes in the Swedish general election, 2010 and become the third largest party in Sweden.

Party spokespersons

The party does not have a formalized leadership, instead having chosen a system with two party spokespersons (always one male and one female as a promotion of gender equality). The current spokespersons are Peter Eriksson and Maria Wetterstrand.

The party have 19 seats in the parliament and have seats in the municipal council in most municipalities.

Relationship with other parties

The Green Party has a good relationship with the Social Democrats, and to a lesser extent, with the Left Party. The party does not rule out participation in a government with the minor liberal and center-right parties in Sweden, but has made it clear that its members will not support a government lead by the Moderate Party.

See also

• Elections in Sweden
• Green party
• Green politics
• Green Youth (Sweden)
• List of environmental organizations
• Politics of Sweden
• Parliament of Sweden
• Referendums in Sweden
• Worldwide green parties

References

• United States Department of State - Sweden

External links

• Official site
• The Swedish Parliament: The Green Party

Political parties in Sweden Riksdag (349 seats) The Alliance: Moderate Party (107) · Liberal People's Party (24) · Centre Party (23) · Christian Democrats (19) Opposition: Social Democrats (112) · Green Party (25) · Sweden Democrats (20)  · Left Party (19) European Parliament (20 of 751 seats) Social Democrats (6) · Moderate Party (4) · Liberal People's Party (3) · Green Party (2) · Pirate Party (2) · Left Party (1) · Centre Party (1) · Christian Democrats (1) Minor parties1 Pirate Party (0.65%) · Feminist Initiative (0.40%) · Senior Citizen Interest Party (0.19%) 1 by % of vote in most recent general election. Politics of Sweden · Politics portal · List of political parties by country