A Green Coalition Gaining Momentum in Europe
Mr. Cohn-Bendit at a Paris rally in May 1968, Courtesy of the New York Times
Earlier this month Europe chose a Parliament and the Europe Ecologie coalition of European Green parties, led by the Franco-German Mr. Cohn-Bendit, came in third in the French voting as reported by the New York Times. Mr. Sarkozy, the center-right President of France, also did very well in the elections and will begin his second phase of presidency with a series of Green initiatives in response to the Green votes.
On Thursday, Mr. Sarkozy invited Mr. Cohn-Bendit; Cécile Duflot, the head of the French Greens; and Pascal Durand, an adviser to a well-known environmentalist and likely Green coalition presidential candidate, Nicolas Hulot, to the Élysée Palace. “Sarkozy realized there was a green wave in France,” Mr. Cohn-Bendit said afterward, “and he wants to surf it.”
Mr. Sarkozy is now discussing an idea to create a global organization for the environment with the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Read the full Times article here
