Plans to boost Greens in Malta

The European Green Party, of which Alternattiva Demokratika is a member, is confident it can convince the people that its climate change strategy is the best for the world because people can connect with its contents.

The EGP, which held its sixth European Council meeting over the weekend, on Saturday approved a climate change resolution proposing a strategy aimed at cutting emissions in EU member states by 30 cent up to 2020.

EGP co-spokesman Philippe Lambert said yesterday morning the strategy was based on the use of renewables, energy efficiency and the avoidance of energy waste on "stupid" things.

He noted that climate change had become a popular issue, adding that, therefore, the Green's next step was to convince the people that their strategy was the right one.

Mr Lambert said that what the Greens put on the table was something the people could connect with - solar heating and cooling and energy efficiency.

The strategy in itself, Mr Lambert said, was realistic. It was also not in contradiction with other challenges being faced such as employment and Europe's economic future. Energy and a climate strategy were a prerequisite to ensure sustainable growth.

As for convincing governments to adopt the Green's strategy, Mr Lambert said it was true that the EGP only enjoyed a fraction of the voting base in Europe. "But it is a growing fraction. Green is coming back, it is growing and will become a stronger force to influence decision levels in governments. We are aiming for sustainable growth - a tree takes quite a while to grow. But we have to convince the people with arguments. History shows us that catastrophes usually come first and solutions are found later. This time we'd better reverse this," he said.

The council also agreed on the holding of a common Green campaign for the 2009 European Parliament elections, the first to be held in 27 countries.

Mr Lambert said that although a pan-European campaign had also been held in 2004, the 2009 electoral campaign would not be a repeat but an innovative one.

Asked if there were any plans to give the Greens in Malta the additional push they needed to get their representative to the EP, Mr Lambert said the council agreed to focus more on a number of countries and Malta was one of them. The EGP would be helping to make the Greens in Malta better known.

Asked what sense it made for the Greens to have candidates contesting the EP elections in countries that were not their own, Mr Lambert said the EP elections were about Europe and not just about one's country. Having Green candidates standing for elections in countries that were not their own was a symbolic but important gesture. This was also another way of showing that the Greens were different.

Mr Lambert referred to the message conveyed during the council's opening on Friday evening by former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer, a Green.

Mr Fischer insisted that the future building of Europe was a must. "He reminded us of the need for Europe to really become a global player especially considering the issues of climate change and global security."

Asked what the Green's role in the future building of Europe was, Mr Lambert said the Greens would continue pushing for the further integration and enlargement of Europe.

"We must find a way of getting the people to realise that Europe will help them enjoy a better future... We will do this by showing we can act differently. We are really behind this ideal and no political force in Europe can claim the same, he said.