In their 2009 European election campaign, the Greens promised a solution to the triple economic, social and environmental crisis Europe was facing: a Green New Deal for Europe.

European voters responded by making the Greens/EFA group a big winner of the election. As the European Parliament reduced in size from 785 to 736 members, the Greens/EFA Group was the only political group to grow: from 43 to 55 members. And then to 56 when a Portuguese MEP joined our group in June 2011. Further to the national ratification procedures of the Lisbon Treaty, two new MEPs joined the Greens/EFA Group in December 2011. It is now the fourth largest group in the European Parliament and the only one with a majority female representation.

These 58 Members – 31 women and 27 men – come from diverse backgrounds. They include members of Green movements (47), representatives of stateless nations (7) and independent members (4). From 2009-2014, it is the task of those elected members to tirelessly promote and vote for the measures that are necessary to deliver the Green New Deal. Action is required across the full scope of European policy and law-making to achieve an ambitious commitment to climate protection and a radical transformation of the economy to deliver millions of green jobs.

During this five-year term, Greens will also remain at the vanguard of efforts to promote respect for civil and human rights within and outside Europe, a responsible role for Europe on the world stage, as well as better democracy and accountability of the EU institutions.

Rebecca Harms and Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Co-Presidents of the Greens/EFA Group