Green Party (Sweden) facts for kids
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Green Party
Miljöpartiet de gröna
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|---|---|
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| Abbreviation | MP |
| Spokespersons | Daniel Helldén Amanda Lind |
| Founded | 20 September 1981 |
| Headquarters | Pustegränd 1-3, Stockholm |
| Youth wing | Young Greens |
| Membership (2023) |  12,877 |
| Ideology |
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| Political position | Centre-left |
| European affiliation | European Green Party |
| International affiliation | Global Greens |
| European Parliament group | Greens–European Free Alliance |
| Nordic affiliation | Centre Group |
| Colours | Green |
| Riksdag | Lua error in Module:European_and_national_party_data/config at line 227: attempt to index field 'data' (a nil value). |
| European Parliament | Lua error in Module:European_and_national_party_data/config at line 227: attempt to index field 'data' (a nil value). |
| County councils |
48 / 1,696
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| Municipal councils |
395 / 12,700
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| Website | |
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The Green Party (Swedish: Miljöpartiet de gröna), also known as MP, is a political party in Sweden. It focuses on green politics, which means caring for the environment and the planet.
The party started in 1981. People were worried about nuclear power after a big vote in 1980. They felt that other parties were not doing enough for the environment.
In 1988, the Green Party won seats in the Swedish Parliament for the first time. They got 5.5 percent of the votes. This was a big deal because they were the first new party to enter parliament in 70 years! A few years later, they did not get enough votes to stay in parliament.
But in 1994, they returned to parliament and have been there ever since. The party has two main leaders, called spokespeople. One is always a man and the other is a woman. Right now, Amanda Lind and Daniel Helldén are the spokespeople.
From October 2014 to November 2021, the Green Party was part of the government led by the Social Democrats. This was the first time the Greens were in charge. They left the government when their budget plan for 2022 did not pass in parliament.
In the 2018 election, the Greens received 4.4% of the votes and 16 seats. This made them the smallest party in the Riksdag. Even so, they were still part of the government for a while.
Contents
What the Green Party Believes In
Caring for Nature and People
The Green Party's main ideas are about "solidarity." This means caring for:
- Animals, nature, and the environment.
- Future generations, so they have a healthy planet.
- All people around the world.
They believe that everything is connected. Their ideas come from movements that care about the environment, helping others, women's rights, and peace.
Fighting Climate Change
The Green Party was the first party in Sweden to talk about climate change. Fighting climate change is a very important goal for them. They want to put higher taxes on things that harm the environment. This would encourage people to make more eco-friendly choices.
Nuclear Power
The party was created because people were against nuclear power. They do not want to build new nuclear power plants in Sweden. They also want to slowly stop using the ones that are already there. They want to switch to new and clean energy sources instead.
Working with Europe
At first, the Green Party did not want Sweden to be part of the European Union (EU). They even wanted a new vote on it. But in 2008, they changed their mind.
Now, they support working with other countries. They want people to be able to move freely across borders. They also want countries to trade and work together. However, they still believe that decisions should be made locally whenever possible.
The Dandelion Symbol
The Green Party's symbol is the dandelion.
How the Green Party is Organized
The Green Party is a bit different from other parties. They do not have one single leader. Instead, they have two spokespeople, one man and one woman. Amanda Lind and Daniel Helldén are the current spokespeople. They are chosen every year by the party members. They can serve for up to nine years in a row.
The party's biggest decision-making group is the party congress. This group includes people chosen from all the local Green Party groups. The congress also picks other important people, like the party board. The board makes decisions when the congress is not meeting. They also choose a party secretary, who helps run the party every day. The current party secretary is Katrin Wissing.
Green Party Spokespeople (1984–Present)
| Spokespersons | Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ragnhild Pohanka | Per Gahrton | 1984–1985 | |
| Birger Schlaug | 1985–1986 | ||
| Eva Goës | 1986–1986 | ||
| Fiona Björling | Anders Nordin | 1988–1990 | |
| Margareta Gisselberg | Jan Axelsson | 1990–1991 | |
| Vacant | 1991–1992 | ||
| Marianne Samuelsson | Birger Schlaug | 1992–1999 | |
| Lotta Nilsson Hedström | 1999–2000 | ||
| Matz Hammarström | 2000–2002 | ||
| Maria Wetterstrand | Peter Eriksson | 2002–2011 | |
| Åsa Romson | Gustav Fridolin | 2011–2016 | |
| Isabella Lövin | 2016–2019 | ||
| Per Bolund | 2019–2021 | ||
| Märta Stenevi | 2021–2023 | ||
| Daniel Hellden | 2023–2024 | ||
| Amanda Lind | 2024–present | ||
Secretaries-General (1985–Present)
| Secretaries-General | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Kjell Dahlström | 1985–1999 | |
| Håkan Wåhlstedt | 1999–2007 | |
| Agneta Börjesson | 2007–2011 | |
| Anders Wallner | 2011–2016 | |
| Amanda Lind | 2016–2019 | |
| Marléne Tamlin (acting) | 2019 | |
| Märta Stenevi | 2019–2021 | |
| Linus Lakso (acting) | 2021 | |
| Katrin Wissing | 2021–present | |
The Green Party Today
The Green Party currently has about 10,000 members. It is especially popular among young people and women.
There are also groups connected to the Green Party:
- The Young Greens of Sweden (Grön ungdom)
- The Green Students of Sweden (Gröna studenter)
- The Green Seniors of Sweden (Gröna seniorer)
The Swedish Green Party is also part of the European Greens. This means they work with other green parties across Europe.
How the Green Party Works in Elections
The Green Party often works with the Social Democrats. They also sometimes work with the Left Party. However, in some local areas, the Greens work with other parties that are more liberal or conservative.
The party does not see itself as strictly "left" or "right." Instead, they focus on whether policies lead to sustainability or just growth. They believe in personal freedom, people being involved in decisions, and new ideas.
Church Politics
The Green Party does not directly take part in elections for the Church of Sweden. However, a group called Greens in the Church of Sweden does participate in these elections.
Relationships with Other Parties
The Green Party generally gets along well with the Social Democrats. They are also friendly with the Left Party. They have said they might work with smaller liberal and center-right parties in Sweden.
When they first entered parliament, the Green Party worked with conservative parties against the Social Democrats. They have also made deals with center-right parties on topics like education. They often work with the Moderate Party at the local level.
Party Membership Over Time
| Historical membership in 1-year intervals, 1987–Present | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1987 | 5,500 | — |
| 1988 | 8,500 | +54.5% |
| 1989 | 8,000 | −5.9% |
| 1990 | 7,600 | −5.0% |
| 1991 | 6,900 | −9.2% |
| 1992 | 6,400 | −7.2% |
| 1993 | 5,300 | −17.2% |
| 1994 | 6,500 | +22.6% |
| 1995 | 5,600 | −13.8% |
| 1996 | 6,950 | +24.1% |
| 1997 | 7,500 | +7.9% |
| 1998 | 7,900 | +5.3% |
| 1999 | 7,285 | −7.8% |
| 2000 | 6,918 | −5.0% |
| 2001 | 6,701 | −3.1% |
| 2002 | 8,011 | +19.5% |
| 2003 | 7,483 | −6.6% |
| 2004 | 7,178 | −4.1% |
| 2005 | 7,249 | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 9,543 | +31.6% |
| 2007 | 9,045 | −5.2% |
| 2008 | 9,111 | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 10,635 | +16.7% |
| 2010 | 15,544 | +46.2% |
| 2011 | 14,648 | −5.8% |
| 2012 | 13,354 | −8.8% |
| 2013 | 13,760 | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 20,214 | +46.9% |
| 2015 | 16,735 | −17.2% |
| 2016 | 13,689 | −18.2% |
| 2017 | 10,719 | −21.7% |
| 2018 | 12,418 | +15.9% |
| 2019 | 10,588 | −14.7% |
| 2020 | 9,530 | −10.0% |
| source | — | |
Election Results
Parliament (Riksdag)
| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 91,787 | 1.7 (#7) |
0 / 349
|
Not in Parliament | |
| 1985 | 83,645 | 1.5 (#7) |
0 / 349
|
Not in Parliament | |
| 1988 | 296,935 | 5.5 (#6) |
20 / 349
|
 20 |
Opposition |
| 1991 | 185,051 | 3.4 (#8) |
0 / 349
|
20 |
Not in Parliament |
| 1994 | 279,042 | 5.0 (#6) |
18 / 349
|
18 |
Opposition |
| 1998 | 236,699 | 4.5 (#7) |
16 / 349
|
2 |
Supported Government |
| 2002 | 246,392 | 4.7 (#7) |
17 / 349
|
1 |
Supported Government |
| 2006 | 291,121 | 5.2 (#7) |
19 / 349
|
2 |
Opposition |
| 2010 | 437,435 | 7.3 (#3) |
25 / 349
|
6 |
Opposition |
| 2014 | 408,365 | 6.8 (#4) |
25 / 349
|
 0 |
In Government |
| 2018 | 285,899 | 4.4 (#8) |
16 / 349
|
9 |
In Government (2018-2021) |
| Supported Government (2021-2022) | |||||
| 2022 | 329,242 | 5.1 (#7) |
18 / 349
|
2 |
Opposition |
Regional Councils
| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 98,042 | 1.9 |
0 / 1,717
|
|
| 1985 | 104,166 | 2.0 |
0 / 1,733
|
|
| 1988 | 237,556 | 4.8 |
73 / 1,743
|
73 |
| 1991 | 156,594 | 3.1 |
34 / 1,763
|
39 |
| 1994 | 236,666 | 4.6 |
78 / 1,777
|
44 |
| 1998 | 226,398 | 4.4 |
70 / 1,646
|
8 |
| 2002 | 204,169 | 3.9 |
55 / 1,656
|
15 |
| 2006 | 256,547 | 4.74 |
68 / 1,656
|
13 |
| 2010 | 398,782 | 6.9 |
104 / 1,662
|
36 |
| 2014 | 442,760 | 7.2 |
106 / 1,678
|
2 |
| 2018 | 265,522 | 4.1 |
48 / 1,696
|
58 |
| 2022 |
31 / 1,696
|
17 |
Municipal Councils
| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 91,842 | 1.6 |
129 / 13,500
|
129 |
| 1985 | 142,498 | 2.5 |
237 / 13,520
|
108 |
| 1988 | 302,797 | 5.6 |
693 / 13,564
|
456 |
| 1991 | 199,207 | 3.6 |
389 / 13,526
|
304 |
| 1994 | 298,044 | 5.3 |
616 / 13,550
|
230 |
| 1998 | 252,675 | 4.8 |
559 / 13,388
|
8 |
| 2002 | 227,189 | 4.2 |
443 / 13,274
|
116 |
| 2006 | 269,560 | 4.8 |
436 / 13,092
|
7 |
| 2010 | 418,362 | 7.1 |
686 / 12,978
|
250 |
| 2014 | 483,529 | 7.7 |
732 / 12,780
|
46 |
| 2018 | 301,825 | 4.6 |
395 / 12,700
|
337 |
European Parliament
| Year | List leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | EP Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Per Gahrton | 462,092 | 17.22 (#3) |
4 / 22
|
New | G |
| 1999 | 239,946 | 9.49 (#5) |
2 / 22
|
2 |
Greens/EFA | |
| 2004 | Carl Schlyter | 149,603 | 5.96 (#7) |
1 / 19
|
1 |
|
| 2009 | 349,114 | 11.02 (#4) |
2 / 18
|
1 |
||
| 2011 |
2 / 20
|
0 |
||||
| 2014 | Isabella Lövin | 572,591 | 15.41 (#2) |
4 / 20
|
2 |
|
| 2019 | Alice Bah Kuhnke | 478,258 | 11.52 (#4) |
2 / 20
|
2 |
|
| 2020 |
3 / 21
|
1 |
||||
| 2024 | 581,322 | 13.85 (#3) |
3 / 21
|
0 |
See also
In Spanish: Partido Verde (Suecia) para niños
- Elections in Sweden
- Green politics
- Green Youth (Sweden)
- List of environmental organizations
- Referendums in Sweden
- Worldwide green parties
