Leader Jean-Noël Debroise Colours Green | Founded 1990 | |
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Headquarters 25, avenue Jean-Jaurès
F-75019 Paris Ideology Green politics, green conservatism, centre-right | ||
Ecology Generation (French: Génération Écologie) is, together with the Greens (Les Verts), the Independent Ecological Movement (Mouvement Ecologiste Indépendant) and Citizenship, Action, Participation for the 21st Century (CAP21), one of the four "green" parties in France. Founded in 1990 by Brice Lalonde, Environment Minister, upon the suggestion of President François Mitterrand, it describes itself as a club with cross-party alliances of green-minded politicians and public servants. It moved away from the "presidential majority" in 1992, when Brice Lalonde left the cabinet.
The party, in alliance with The Greens obtained about 14% of the vote in the French regional elections, 1992; but the 1993 legislative election was disappointing for the Green-GE alliance, as it failed to win any seats and won only 7% (other ecologist parties brought the score up to 11%), when polls had given them up to 16%.
Noël Mamère was the movement's vice-president from 1992 to 1994, when he was excluded from the party and founded the Ecology-Solidarity Convergence, which later joined The Greens. Unlike many green parties, which are traditionally associated with the left-wing, Génération Écologie presents itself as a centre-right ecologist party, despite its early allegiance with the Socialist Party. Nicknamed 'The Blues,' after the traditional colour of conservatism, it has been associated with the conservative UMP since 2002, although the links between the two parties grew more tenuous after the French regional elections, 2004.
Génération Écologie has cooperated since the 2004 elections with several other movements that share its priorities. It has worked alongside various organisations, most prominently the Federalist Party, the Centre of Handicapped Democrats, and the Vanquish Unemployment Association.
France Gamerre replaced Brice Lalonde as leader and she aimed to run in the French presidential election, 2007. Like her predecessor, she failed to win the 500 endorsements.
In the 2009 European Parliament election, the party ran as part of the Independent Ecological Movement which won 3.63% of the vote.