Determinants of Electoral Success of Green Parties in EU Countries

The study aimed at analyzing the determinants of the electoral success of green parties in the European Union countries. The study employed a mixed method, combining a comparative analysis of multiple cases, specifically those within the European Union countries, with an in-depth case study of the German case. The theoretical analysis of the study concluded that several factors explain the electoral success of the Green parties: economic factors, the nature of political parties and party systems, the electoral system, and the level of decentralization. The study concluded, based on case studies of European Union countries, that economic conditions positively impacted the electoral success of the Green parties, although this effect was not absolute. Regarding the moderation of the party system, the weakness of the radical left parties, the proportional electoral system, and the high level of decentralization, the relationship between them and the electoral success of the Greens varied. In many countries, the relationship between these factors and the electoral success of the Greens was positive. However, there are also countries where the Greens achieved electoral success despite strong levels of polarization, the strength of radical left parties, high levels of centralization, and the adoption of electoral majoritarian/plurality systems. Regarding the German case, the study concluded that the electoral success of the Green Party can be explained by several determinants, the first of which is the high levels of economic prosperity. The study also concluded the double effect of the electoral system. With regard to political parties and the party system in Germany, it can be said that the party system in Germany is moderate and that the strength of the Radical Left Party in Germany varies. At the level of decentralization, Germany is the most decentralized country in the countries of the European Union; this decentralization provided the opportunity for the rise of the Green Party.