Cost of going green sparks voter backlash

It’s called “Green Whip.”

Resistance to green policies has erupted across Europe. Everything was so different at the last European elections five years ago, when young voters specifically demanded action on climate change.

Many Europeans oppose abandoning fossil fuels as energy prices soar due to Russia’s war in Ukraine and a broader cost-of-living crisis. Farmers across Europe have blocked roads in anger over environmental reforms.

This could spell trouble for the EU Greens on June 6-9.

The parties that make up the Greens/European Free Alliance (G/EFA) are currently the fourth largest party in the European Parliament, but most polls suggest they could lose up to 30% of their seats.

“If these two right-wing groups end up ahead of us and become part of the process of forming a majority, they will block a large part of parliament,” warned Green Party lead candidate Terry Reintke.

Such an outcome could have major implications for how the EU implements the European Economic Green Deal, part of the climate law aimed at making Europe carbon neutral by 2050.

A series of measures have been adopted as part of the agreement to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Diesel cars.

But most policies that will determine how the EU reaches its 2040 goals still need to be agreed in the coming years. Furthermore, even approved directives can be changed if there is sufficient political pressure.

Right-wing and far-right parties across the continent have responded quickly to public dissatisfaction, weighing costly decarbonization processes and investments in the green transition against the cost of living crisis.

exist ItalyFar-right League leader Matteo Salvini has long complained that a 2035 ban on diesel and petrol car sales is both anti-European and a “gift” to China’s electric car industry – which he has adopted as his A key part of the agenda.

Hungarian President Viktor Orban might have China has no problem providing billions of euros in green investment in his own country, but he was quick to back farmers’ protests in Brussels and accuse other European leaders of not taking ordinary people seriously.

German The coalition government is all but falling apart amid fierce opposition to plans to ban new oil and gas heating systems from 2024. The far-right AfD complains of “ecological dictatorship” and is challenging for second place in the polls.

inside NetherlandsThe government’s plans to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions have angered farmers and led to a surge in support for the Farmers’ Citizen Movement (BBB), which will now form part of the new government. The coalition, which includes the Freedom Party led by anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders, plans to scrap a number of green policies, including subsidies for electric cars and solar panels.

Sweden It has long been seen as a pioneer in Europe’s response to climate change. But the government, which relies on support from the far-right Sweden Democrats, has been criticized by Sweden’s Climate Policy Council, which says it has been slow to implement policies that mean emissions rise.

exist SpainAs one of the countries in Europe most affected by climate change, the far-right Vox party denies that climate change is man-made and wants to roll back recent green policies.

Hannah Neumann, a German MEP from the Alliance 90/Green Party, said the radical right’s argument that the choice is “either protect the climate or compete with our economy” was simply wrong.

“It’s not ‘either/or’, it’s clearly ‘and’,” she told the BBC.

She said that “everyone is moving towards net zero emissions, not just us” and that both the United States and China are investing heavily to prepare their respective economies for a green transition. Ms Neumann fears that if the EU slows down, it will fall behind and cease to be competitive.

However, center-right parties also question the speed and cost of the green transition.

The conservative European People’s Party (EPP), the largest party in the European Parliament, has long been unhappy with the EU’s ban on petrol and diesel cars from 2035. Parties are unhappy about this.

Farmers’ protests also led to the overturning of Green Deal policies. Earlier this year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans Scrap proposal to halve pesticide use the entire EU.

Jessica Polfjärd, a member of the Swedish Moderate Party, said that Europe’s center-right parties understand the urgency and importance of climate issues as well as the Green Party. But she said doing so responsibly and realistically was key, as was finding the right balance.

“The Greens’ green policies are not working in reality. They want to aim higher, they are too ambitious,” she told the BBC.

She believes they are not providing industry with the right tools for transformation: industry needs a chance to catch up and must first assess the impact of the measures.

Despite strong opposition, climate change remains a top concern among European voters.

In last month’s EU Eurobarometer survey on European environmental attitudes, 78% of respondents said environmental issues have a direct impact on their daily lives, and 84% believed that EU environmental legislation was important in protecting their country’s environment. necessary.

However, a smaller minority, 58%, want to use renewable energy and accelerate the shift to a green economy, according to another recent Eurobarometer survey.

But cost-of-living issues are playing a bigger role in the campaign ahead of this week’s vote, and in the coming days the European Greens are likely to lose much of the support they won five years ago.