Ecologist Party "The Greens"

Ecologist Party "The Greens"
Abbreviation PEV
Leader Heloísa Apolónia
Founded 19 May 1982 (1982-05-19)
Headquarters Rua da Boavista 83, 3.º Dto, 1200-066 Lisbon
Youth wing Ecolojovem
Membership 6,000
Ideology Green politics,
Eco-socialism
Political position Left-wing
National affiliation Unitary Democratic Coalition
European affiliation European Green Party
International affiliation Global Greens
European Parliament group The Greens–European Free Alliance
Colours Green
Assembly of the Republic
2 / 230
European Parliament
0 / 21
Regional
parliaments
0 / 104
Local
Government
213 / 2,086
Website
www.osverdes.pt
Politics of Portugal
Political parties
Elections
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The Ecologist Party "The Greens" (Portuguese: Partido Ecologista "Os Verdes", pronounced: [pɐɾˈtidu ekuluˈʒiʃtɐ uʒ ˈveɾdɨʃ], PEV) is a Portuguese green and eco-socialist party. It is a member of the European Greens and a founding member of the European Federation of Green Parties.

It was the first Portuguese ecologist party, and since its foundation, in 1982, the PEV has had a close relationship with the Portuguese Communist Party, and now (as of 2013), after participating allied with it in the Unitary Democratic Coalition in all the elections, the PEV holds many mandates in local assemblies and two seats in the Assembly of the Republic.

The Party's youth wing is the Ecolojovem. It edits a newspaper named Folha Verde and its headquarters are located in Lisbon.

History and general information

The Party was founded 1982, originally named the Portuguese Ecologist Movement – Party "The Greens" (Movimento Ecologista Português – Partido "Os Verdes"), by a group of Portuguese citizens interested in the promotion of the ecologist movement in Portuguese society, with the support of the Portuguese Communist Party, including in its founders one of its members, Zita Seabra.

In the end of the 1970s, Earth was facing new ecological problems, such as the greenhouse effect and the depletion of the ozone layer and the lack of awareness of this in Portuguese society, along with the lack of an organized Ecologist movement, led to the foundation of the Ecologist Party "The Greens" in order to put such problems on the political agenda.

The Party created regional groups immediately following its foundation, groups that have continued to grow since then. The growth of the Party throughout the country allowed many members to integrate the electoral lists of the CDU, some being elected to very different tasks. Currently (as of 2013), The PEV has several members elected in Municipal Assemblies and Parish Assemblies, as well as two members elected in the Assembly of the Republic (Portuguese parliament). Those two members are Heloísa Apolónia[1] and José Luís Ferreira.[2]

There is some criticism of its close ties to the Communist Party. Given that PEV never stood in elections on its own, some right-wing politicians have gone to the point of nicknaming PEV "The Watermelons – Greens Outside, Reds Inside". However, official positions of both parties on certain questions can be quite different.

The PEV is also present in the National Electoral Commission and also in the National Council of Education.

The youth wing of the Party is the Ecolojovem, founded in 1989, which is a founding member of the Federation of Young European Greens.

The PEV edits a newspaper, the Folha Verde (Green Leaf), which received several press prizes for its unique design and style.

Electoral results

CDU results in the local election of 2005. (Azores and Madeira are not shown)

In elections, the PEV is closely allied with the Portuguese Communist Party, first in the Unitary Democratic Coalition. This explains a nickname given to Os Verdes by some: "melancias" (lit. watermelons): green outside, red inside.

Results in parliamentary elections

Results in Parliamentary Elections
[3] (year links to election page)
Year Coalition Type of Election Voting % Mandates
1987
CDU
Portuguese Parliament
685,109
12.2%
31 (2)
1991
CDU
Portuguese Parliament
501,840
8.8%
17 (2)
1995
CDU
Portuguese Parliament
504,007
8.6%
15 (2)
1999
CDU
Portuguese Parliament
483,716
9.0%
17 (2)
2002
CDU
Portuguese Parliament
378,640
7.0%
12 (2)
2005
CDU
Portuguese Parliament
432,009
7.6%
14 (2)
2009
CDU
Portuguese Parliament
446,174
7.9%
15 (2)
2011
CDU
Portuguese Parliament
440,850
7.9%
16 (2)
2015
CDU
Portuguese Parliament
444,907
8.3%
17 (2)

Note:

Results in local elections

Results in Local Elections
[4] (year links to election page)
Year Coalition Type of Election Voting % Mandates
1985
APU
Local
942,147
19.4%
305
1989
CDU
Local
633,682
12.8%
252
1993
CDU
Local
689,928
12.8%
246
1997
CDU
Local
643,956
12.0%
236
2001
CDU
Local
557,481
10.6%
202
2005
CDU
Local
590,496
11.0%
203
2009
CDU
Local
537,329
9.7%
174
2013
CDU
Local
552,690
11.1%
213

European Parliament

These are the results for Unitary Democratic Coalition.[5]
Election year # of overall
votes
% of overall
vote
# of overall
seats won
+/- Notes
1987 646,640 11.5 (#4)
3 / 24
1989 594,961 14.4 (#3)
4 / 24
Increase 1
1994 339,283 11.2 (#4)
3 / 25
Decrease 1
1999 357,575 10.3 (#3)
2 / 25
Decrease 1
2004 309,406 9.1 (#3)
2 / 24
Steady 0
2009 379,787 10.6 (#4)
2 / 22
Steady 0
2014 416,377 12.7 (#3)
3 / 21
Increase 1

Note:

See also

References

External links

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