The emergence of green parties throughout Europe during the 1980s marked the arrival of a new form of political movement, challenging established models of party politics and putting new issues on the political agenda. Since their emergence, green parties in Europe have faced different destinies; in countries such as Germany, Belgium, Finland, France, and Italy, they have accumulated electoral successes, participated in governments, implemented policies and established themselves as part of the party system. In other countries, their political relevance remains very limited. After more than 30 years on the political scene, green parties have proven to be more than just a temporary phenomenon. They have lost their newness, faced success and failure, power and opposition, grassroots enthusiasm and internal conflicts. Green Parties in Europe includes individual case studies and a comparative perspective to bring together international specialists engaged in the study of green parties. It renews and expands our knowledge about the green party family in Europe.

The Green Challenge is an up-to-date and comprehensive account of the development of Green parties in Western Europe, and includes an account of the development since 1989 of an East European Green movement. Blending theory and empirical analysis, the book contains chapters on each of the main western European cases and on a number of other less-studied ones. These are designed to demonstrate the shifting balance of party-political competition the factor the authors believe most strongly influences the fortunes of the Greens. The editors also integrate a valuable analysis of the environmentally-degraded Czech Republic, where the Green parties' lack of electoral success has puzzled many observers.

First Published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This text on the emergence of green parties across Europe, focuses on the political nature of this movement, its roots and branches, the changing political order, and the problems associated with this change.

By the late 1990s Green parties had entered national governments in five Western European countries - Finland, Italy, Germany, France and Belgium. This book aims to provide an understanding of the differences and similarities of Green parties in coalition governments.

The goals, strategies and impact of Green actors in the EC, with case studies including the important German Greens. Looks at the relationship between movements and parties, and at the Greens' alternative of a Europe of the Regions.

Strategic choices allow small parties to balance their interests and achieve success