The Green Party in Germany has continued its massive upsurge in popularity in Germany winning a huge slice of votes in key German states which have gone to polls recently.Green Party in Germany which is founded on the principles of social justice, reliance on grassroots democracy nonviolence, and an emphasis on environmentalism has remained a fringe player.However the recent backlash against the nuclear power plant extension by Merkel,the planning on high speed rail in Stuttgart and the frustration with the foreign and Euro policies of the ruling CDU has led to huge gains.Note Green Parties are found in most European countries though they remain non-existent in major Anglo-Saxon countries.However the recent Japanese nuclear disaster may give a fresh impetus as global warming effects continue to increase and nuclear energy comes under attack. Mass protests against nuclear power continue to be held in different cities in Germany
The Conservatives lost control of Baden-Wuerttemberg for the first time in almost 60 years, ceding it to the Green Party in a local election.
It is the first time the Greens have won a state premiership, and they hailed it as a momentous result.
“This is a historic turning point in Greens history,” said party co-leader Claudia Roth at celebrations in Berlin.
It is believed Japan’s nuclear disaster in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami helped increase support for Germany’s anti-nuclear Greens.
Chancellor Angela Merkel last year ignored popular opposition and extended the life of 17 of the country’s nuclear plants by an average of 12 years.
Note the Green Party may gets its first premier in the key Baden-Wuerttemberg State through the support of its ally the Social Democrats.This will be the first time in more than 50 years that the ruling CDU Party loses its hold in this key state which has a massive economy.The Green Party had earlier tripled its vote share in the Saxonia state as well though it was still small at less than 7%.Merkel had earlier decided to suddenly halt the operations of 7 nulcear plants in the wake of the Fukushima incident which had been criticized as an election ploy rather than a change of heart.It looks increasingly unlikely that nuclear power in Germany will be able to live beyond 2021.Note other countries too are rethinking their nuclear plans with Italy putting a 1 year moratorium on investing in new nuclear reactors.Note the Swiss have already done so and China may be in the process of doing so.Note China is a crucial state for nuclear energy and if it does something drastic then nuclear power will be left for dead again.
According to the Politbarometer poll from the ZDF broadcaster Friday, the Greens would more than double their vote in the Baden-Wuertemberg elections to 25%, ahead of 22.5% for fellow opposition party the Social Democrats, or SPD, but behind 38% for the CDU. The CDU’s desired coalition partner, the Free Democrats, may just clear the 5% threshold needed to enter the state parliament, while the smallish Left party probably won’t.
The most likely result in that case would be a coalition of the Greens and Social Democrats
The poll also showed that 47% of voters in the state reckon the Greens have most competence on the issue of nuclear energy, compared with only 17% for the CDU.
Germans are traditional nuclear skeptics and tens of thousands took to the streets against atomic energy in Baden-Wuerttemberg on Saturday, after the first images from what could develop into a nuclear disaster were screened on television.
Related Greenworldinvestor articles for more background