Greens (South Tyrol)

The Greens have their roots in the New Left and the environmental movements of the 1970s. They started to compete in elections in 1978, but were formally registered as a party only in 1996. From 1978 to 1996 they used different names: New Left (1978), Alternative List (1983), Green Alternative List (1988) and finally Greens (since 1993).{{cite web|url=http://www.regione.taa.it/Elettorale/risultati/reg_1998.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-05-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524230811/http://www.regione.taa.it/elettorale/risultati/reg_1998.pdf |archive-date=2010-05-24 }} Trentino Alexander Langer, founder and early leader of the party, committed suicide in 1995.{{cite web|url=http://www.uibk.ac.at/politikwissenschaft/mitarbeiterinnen/pallaver/pdf/pallaver_561-600.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-08-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524105530/http://www.uibk.ac.at/politikwissenschaft/mitarbeiterinnen/pallaver/pdf/pallaver_561-600.pdf |archive-date=2011-05-24 }}

Other than in the Landtag of South Tyrol since 1978, the party was successively represented in the European Parliament by long-time activist Langer (1989–1995), mountaineer Reinhold Messner (1999–2004) and theologian Sepp Kusstatscher (2004–2009).

In the 2003 provincial election, the party obtained 7.9% of the vote and three provincial councillors: Cristina Kury, Kusstatscher (a former member of the South Tyrolean People's Party, SVP) and Hans Heiss. In the 2004 European Parliament election, the Greens won 13.1% of the vote in the Province, their best result ever, and sent Kusstatscher to the European Parliament, replacing Messner.

In the 2008 provincial election, the Greens won only the 5.8% of the vote, losing votes (-2.1%) and one seat from 2003. The two elected Green councillors were Heiss and Riccardo Dello Sbarba,{{cite web|url=http://www.grueneverdi.bz.it/?L=1|title=Confixx|website=www.grueneverdi.bz.it}} who succeeded to Kusstatscher.

In the 2013 general election, the Greens did not follow the national party into the Civil Revolution alliance and decided instead to support Left Ecology Freedom (SEL), whose regional slate included Green Florian Kronbichler,{{cite web|url=http://www.corriere.it/notizie-ultima-ora/Cronache_e_politica/Elezioni-patto-Verdi-Alto-Adige-Sel/05-01-2013/1-A_004416910.shtml|title=ultimaora - flash news 24 Corriere della Sera|website=www.corriere.it}} who was the first German-speaker to be elected not for the SVP.{{cite web|url=http://ricerca.gelocal.it/altoadige/archivio/altoadige/2013/02/27/NZ_14_06.html|title=Alto Adige|website=ricerca.gelocal.it}}

In the 2013 provincial election, the Greens won 8.7% of the vote (+2.9%),{{cite web|url=http://elezioni.provincia.bz.it/|title=Referendum consultivo provinciale 2016 - Provincia autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige|website=elezioni.provincia.bz.it}} their record high in a provincial election, and sent three elects to the Provincial Council: Heiss, Dello Sbarba and Brigitte Foppa.{{cite web |url=http://elezioni.provincia.bz.it/prefvt_li_p7795_vg.htm |title=Elezioni provinciali 2013 – Provincia autonoma di Bolzano |website=elezioni.provincia.bz.it |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030134033/http://elezioni.provincia.bz.it/prefvt_li_p7795_vg.htm |archive-date=2013-10-30}} In the 2014 European Parliament election the Greens supported The Other Europe, an electoral alliance launched by Italian Left (SI, successor of SEL) and other left-wing parties, but its candidate Oktavia Brugger was not elected.{{cite web|url=http://ricerca.gelocal.it/altoadige/archivio/altoadige/2014/05/28/NZ_16_04.html|title=Alto Adige|website=ricerca.gelocal.it}} In the 2015 municipal election in Merano, the second-largest South Tyrolean city, Green Paul Rösch was elected mayor with 60.7% of the vote in the run-off:{{Cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/static/speciale/2015/elezioni/comunali/merano_meran.html|title=Comune di Merano/Meran - Trentino-Alto Adige - Ballottaggio - Elezioni Comunali - 10 maggio 2015|website=la Repubblica.it}}{{cite web|url=http://altoadige.gelocal.it/bolzano/foto-e-video/2015/05/24/fotogalleria/merano-il-nuovo-sindaco-paul-rosch-festeggia-1.11487142?ref=search#1|title=Merano, il nuovo sindaco Paul Roesch festeggia|access-date=2017-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525014915/http://altoadige.gelocal.it/bolzano/foto-e-video/2015/05/24/fotogalleria/merano-il-nuovo-sindaco-paul-rosch-festeggia-1.11487142?ref=search#1|archive-date=2015-05-25|url-status=dead}} it was the first time that the Greens were to win a large municipality.

In the 2018 general election, Kronbichler did not stand again and the Greens continued to join forces with SI within the Free and Equal electoral list,{{Cite web|url=https://www.altoadige.it/cronaca/bolzano/liberi-e-uguali-usciamo-da-questo-sistema-bloccato-1.1475411|title="Liberi e uguali": usciamo da questo sistema bloccato - Bolzano|website=Alto Adige|date=17 December 2017 }} with Norbert Lantschner as its standard-bearer.{{cite web|url=https://ilmanifesto.it/in-alto-adige-i-verdi-hanno-deciso-di-entrare-in-liberi-e-uguali|title=il manifesto|website=ilmanifesto.it|date=27 February 2018 }} Lantschner was not elected and the Greens lost their representation in Parliament.

In the 2018 provincial election, the Greens won 6.8% of the vote (-1.9pp) and again sent three elects to the Provincial Council. In the 2019 European Parliament election, the Greens joined the Green Europe (EV) electoral list, with Norbert Lantschner as their candidate,{{Cite web|url=https://www.lavocedibolzano.it/europee-a-bruxelles-i-verdi-puntano-su-norbert-lantschner-contro-leterno-dorfmann/|title=Europee: a Bruxelles i Verdi puntano su Norbert Lantschner contro "l'eterno" Dorfmann|date=April 9, 2019}} garnering 8.7% of the vote. In November 2019 the party became a full member of the European Green Party.{{Cite web|url=https://europeangreens.eu/news/south-tyrolean-greens-%E2%80%98verdi-gr%C3%BCnev%C3%ABrc%E2%80%99-join-european-green-family|title=South Tyrolean Greens 'Verdi-GrüneVërc' join European Green family|website=European Greens}}

In July 2022, at a convention in Rome, spokesperson Marlene Pernstich participated the "New Energies" convention, that launched what would become the Greens and Left Alliance (AVS), a joint list for the 2022 general election formed by EV and SI.{{cite web | url=https://www.repubblica.it/politica/2022/07/02/news/i_rossoverdi_si_presentano_a_roma_giustizia_sociale_e_climatica_un_potenziale_del_13_per_cento-356297591 | title=I rossoverdi si presentano a Roma: "Giustizia sociale e climatica, possiamo valere il 13 per cento" | date=2 July 2022 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/articoli/2022/07/03/rossoverdi-in-campo-valgono-il-5/6647989 | title=Rossoverdi in campo: Valgono il 5% }}{{cite web | url=https://www.dire.it/02-07-2022/756727-video-arriva-la-nuova-alleanza-europa-verde-e-sinistra-italiana | title=VIDEO | Arriva la nuova alleanza Europa verde e Sinistra italiana | date=2 July 2022 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.adnkronos.com/nuove-energie-scende-in-campo-parole-dordine-giustizia-ambiente-e-diritti_3M60aBRG0oQO0NAfYH1ktH?refresh_ce | title=Nuove Energie scende in campo: Parole d'ordine giustizia, ambiente e diritti | date=2 July 2022 }}{{cite web | url=https://europaverde.it/2022/06/28/nuove-energie-evento-roma | title=Evento: Nuove Energie - l'Italia Ecologista, Civica e Solidale | date=28 June 2022 }} In the election, the party obtained 7.7% of the vote in the Province.

In the 2023 provincial election, the Greens won 9.1% of the vote (+2.2pp) and again sent three elects to the Provincial Council. In the 2024 European Parliament election the Greens ran as part of AVS, with Foppa as standard-bearer,{{cite web | url=https://www.ansa.it/trentino/notizie/2024/05/13/foppa-verde-e-il-colore-della-speranza-e-della-giustizia_ece0c3ba-3d41-4ae2-833a-56740bd1f828.html | title=Foppa, 'verde è il colore della speranza e della giustizia' - Notizie - Ansa.it | date=13 May 2024 }} garnering 15.8% of the vote.

In February 2025 senator Aurora Floridia (EV/AVS), elected in Veneto, joined the Greens of South Tyrol and For the Autonomies group.https://www.ildolomiti.it/politica/2025/la-senatrice-aurora-floridia-aderisce-al-gruppo-per-le-autonomie-fondamentale-fare-squadra-per-affrontare-al-meglio-le-sfide-del-territoriohttps://salto.bz/it/article/20022025/cresce-il-gruppo-le-autonomiehttps://www.buongiornosuedtirol.it/2025/02/19/aurora-floridia-con-i-verdi-grune-verc-nel-gruppo-autonomie

The Greens' best result in a provincial election was in 2023, when the party won 9.1% of the vote. In that occasion, the Greens obtained their highest share in Urtijëi (20.3%), but it generally ran strong in the largest cities and towns (12.8% in Merano, 11.7% in Bolzano, 10.3% in Bruneck and 10.1% in Brixen), while doing worse in the most rural districts – Wipptal (4.2%), Pustertal (6.3%) and Vinschgau (6.5%).{{cite web | url=https://elezioniprovinciali.provincia.bz.it/de/lists/18998 | title=Landtagswahlen 2023 | Autonome Provinz Bozen-Südtirol }} The party's best result was in the 2024 European Parliament election, where it received 15.8% of the vote.

The electoral results of the Greens in South Tyrol since 1987 are shown in the table below.

{{notelist}}

{{unreferenced section|date=December 2020}}

Spokesperson: Carlo Bertorelle (1996–1998), Leander Moroder (1998–2006), Franco Bernard (2006–2009), Sepp Kusstatscher and Brigitte Foppa (2009–2013), Giorgio Zanvettor and Brigitte Foppa (2014–2016), Hans Heiss and Brigitte Foppa (2016–2017), Tobias Planer and Brigitte Foppa (2017–2019), Felix Wohlgemuth and Marlene Pernstich (2019–2024), Luca Bertolini and Elide Mussner (2024–present)

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.consiglio-bz.org/it/banche-dati-raccolte/archivio-storico.asp Provincial Council of Bolzano – Historical Archive]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100524230811/http://www.regione.taa.it/elettorale/risultati/reg_1998.pdf Trentino Alto-Adige Region – Elections]
• [http://www.provinz.bz.it/vote/index_i.htm Provincial Government of Bolzano – Elections]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070701073703/http://www.cattaneo.org/index.asp?l1=archivi&l2=adele Cattaneo Institute – Archive of Election Data]
• [http://elezionistorico.interno.it/ Ministry of the Interior – Historical Archive of Elections]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110524105530/http://www.uibk.ac.at/politikwissenschaft/mitarbeiterinnen/pallaver/pdf/pallaver_561-600.pdf Günther Pallaver, Political parties in Alto Adige from 1945 to 2005]
• Hermann Atz, Die Grünen Südtirols. Profil und Wählerbasis, StudienVerlag, Innsbruck/Vienna/Bolzano 2007, {{ISBN|978-3-7065-4070-4}}.
• Joachim Gatterer, "rote milben im gefieder". Sozialdemokratische, kommunistische und grün-alternative Parteipolitik in Südtirol, StudienVerlag, Innsbruck/Vienna/Bolzano 2009, {{ISBN|978-3-7065-4648-5}}

• [http://www.verdi.bz.it Official website]

{{South Tyrolean political parties}}

{{European Green Party}}

Category:1996 establishments in Italy

Category:Green political parties in Italy

Category:Left-wing politics in Italy

Category:Political parties established in 1996

Category:Political parties in South Tyrol

Category:Social democratic parties in Italy

Category:Federation of the Greens