Green party losses in EU elections raise concerns over Green Deal

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🗞️ Driving the news: Green parties lose seats in EU elections, sparking concerns over weakening climate ambitions
• In France, the far-right gained ground, and snap elections called by President Macron further dented Green support, mirroring trends seen across the continent

🔭 The context: The European election exit polls show Green parties dropping to sixth place, with notable losses in Germany and France, amid a broader shift to the right
• Despite setbacks, the Greens managed to hold seats in Sweden and narrowly beat the far-right for first place in the Netherlands, highlighting a mixed electoral performance.

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The decline in support for Green parties may jeopardize the EU's Green Deal and its climate goals, as environmental policies could face delays or dilution
• Environmentalists are particularly worried about the EU's failure to specify how farmers should contribute to emission reductions, fearing more rollbacks in green legislation

⏭️ What's next: Despite losses, Greens could still influence the selection of the next EU Commission president and push for acceleration of the Green Deal
• The Greens aim to address the criticism that the Green Deal has been perceived as a top-down Brussels initiative by fostering more debate in the member state

💬 One quote: "Our biggest problem so far is that the Green Deal has been too much a Brussels agenda," said Bas Eickhout, Green party lead candidate

📈 One stat: In Germany, the Green vote share nearly halved from 20.5% to 12%, reflecting voter concerns over economic issues and shifting priorities

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