Alice Hubbard

After an acrimonious exit from president Petr Fiala’s centre-right government last year, the Czech Pirate Party has decided to run in coalition with the Greens in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Neither party is likely to be in government when the polls close, but coming together has increased the likelihood of progressive forces being represented in parliament. But even if this strategy proves successful, charting an autonomous future remains a challenge for the Greens.

In its relatively short lifespan, the Green movement has developed a credible alternative to Europe’s more established political traditions. On the back of their electoral victories, Green parties have become part of the democratic system. But as multiple crises and reactionary tides have pushed them out of power, they need to address the unresolved tensions around their movement-party identity, and put people at the centre of their political project.

In its relatively short lifespan, the Green movement can claim to be the only political force in Europe that has managed to stand on the same level as conservatism, socialism, and liberalism. The Greens were once outsiders challenging the power structure, but on the back of their electoral victories in recent years, they have become – at least to a large extent – part of the democratic system.