Independent Ecological Movement
Encyclopedia
The Independent Ecological Movement (Mouvement Ecologiste Indépendant) is a political party
in France
founded by Antoine Waechter
, former presidential candidate of The Greens
in 1994. The MEI hoped to replaced the Greens as the major green party, but due to the Green's electoral deals with larger parties, it failed to do so. They claim to be purely ecologist, and neither on the left or right. Waechter failed to win enough endorsements to be a candidate in the French presidential election, 1995
. The party ran candidates in the 2004 regional elections
and in the European Parliament election, 2004 (France)
and were able to prevent the Greens from gaining more seats, such as in the Eastern EU parliamentary region where the MEI's 3% were enough to prevent the Greens from taking 2 seats there instead of one.
In the 2007 presidential election
, Antoine Waechter rallied the centrist Francois Bayrou after failing to be a candidate himself. Before the 2007 general election
, the party signed an electoral deal with Ecology Generation, the Greens and CAP21 having refused to join. 133 MEI candidates nationwide ran for the assembly's 577 seats. 84 candidates obtained 1% or more, even with Green opposition. The MEI seems to have become France's second green party.
Despite being openly favourable to the Europe Écologie
coalition, for the 2009 European Parliament election
, the party ran as part of the Independent Ecological Alliance
which won 3.63% of the vote.
The party continued its participation in the Independent Ecological Alliance
during the 2010 regional elections
, except notably in Alsace
where it participated in a joint Europe Écologie
-MEI list, which later merged with the Socialist
list. Antoine Waechter was elected regional councillor for the Haut-Rhin
and the party received 2 other regional councillors across France.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
founded by Antoine Waechter
Antoine Waechter
Antoine Waechter is a French politician, leader of the Independent Ecological Movement, born on February 11, 1949 in Mulhouse -Early Activism:...
, former presidential candidate of The Greens
The Greens (France)
The Greens were a Green political party to the centre-left of the political spectrum in France. They had officially been in existence since 1984, but their spiritual roots could be traced as far back as René Dumont’s candidacy for the presidency in 1974...
in 1994. The MEI hoped to replaced the Greens as the major green party, but due to the Green's electoral deals with larger parties, it failed to do so. They claim to be purely ecologist, and neither on the left or right. Waechter failed to win enough endorsements to be a candidate in the French presidential election, 1995
French presidential election, 1995
Presidential elections took place in France on 23 April and 7 May 1995, to elect the fifth president of the Fifth Republic.The incumbent Socialist president, François Mitterrand, did not stand for a third term. He was 78, had cancer, and his party had lost the previous legislative election in a...
. The party ran candidates in the 2004 regional elections
French regional elections, 2004
Regional elections in were held in France on 21 and 28 March 2004. At stake were the presidencies of each of France's 26 regions which, although they do not have legislative powers, manage sizeable budgets...
and in the European Parliament election, 2004 (France)
European Parliament election, 2004 (France)
Elections to the European Parliament were held in France on 13 June 2004. The opposition Socialist Party made substantial gains, although this was mainly at the expense of minor parties...
and were able to prevent the Greens from gaining more seats, such as in the Eastern EU parliamentary region where the MEI's 3% were enough to prevent the Greens from taking 2 seats there instead of one.
In the 2007 presidential election
French presidential election, 2007
The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term.The winner, decided on 5 and 6 May 2007, was Nicolas Sarkozy...
, Antoine Waechter rallied the centrist Francois Bayrou after failing to be a candidate himself. Before the 2007 general election
French legislative election, 2007
The French legislative elections took place on 10 June and 17 June 2007 to elect the 13th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, a few weeks after the French presidential election run-off on 6 May. 7,639 candidates stood for 577 seats, including France's overseas possessions...
, the party signed an electoral deal with Ecology Generation, the Greens and CAP21 having refused to join. 133 MEI candidates nationwide ran for the assembly's 577 seats. 84 candidates obtained 1% or more, even with Green opposition. The MEI seems to have become France's second green party.
Despite being openly favourable to the Europe Écologie
Europe Écologie
Europe Écologie was a French electoral coalition created for the 2009 European elections composed of The Greens and other ecologists and regionalists....
coalition, for the 2009 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2009 (France)
European elections to elect 72 French Members of the European Parliament were held on Sunday 7 June 2009.Due to the entry of Romania and Bulgaria in the European Union in 2007, the number of seats allocated to France was revised from 78 seats to 72 seats, a loss of 6 seats...
, the party ran as part of the Independent Ecological Alliance
Independent Ecological Alliance
The Independent Ecological Alliance is a French electoral coalition originally created to participate in the 2009 European elections composed of the Independent Ecological Movement, Ecology Generation, and France in Action.-2009 European elections:...
which won 3.63% of the vote.
The party continued its participation in the Independent Ecological Alliance
Independent Ecological Alliance
The Independent Ecological Alliance is a French electoral coalition originally created to participate in the 2009 European elections composed of the Independent Ecological Movement, Ecology Generation, and France in Action.-2009 European elections:...
during the 2010 regional elections
French regional elections, 2010
Regional elections were held in France on 14 and 21 March 2010. At stake were the presidencies of each of France's 26 régions, which, though they do not have legislative autonomy, manage sizable budgets....
, except notably in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
where it participated in a joint Europe Écologie
Europe Écologie
Europe Écologie was a French electoral coalition created for the 2009 European elections composed of The Greens and other ecologists and regionalists....
-MEI list, which later merged with the Socialist
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
list. Antoine Waechter was elected regional councillor for the Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin is a département of the Alsace region of France, named after the Rhine river. Its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less populated of the two departements of Alsace, although is still densely populated compared to the rest of France.-Subdivisions:The department...
and the party received 2 other regional councillors across France.