Posts by Andrew Shearer and Malcolm Cook on some of the more eccentric foreign and trade policy positions adopted by the Australian Greens invite comparisons with one of the most successful Green parties in the world, Germany's Alliance '90/The Greens.
The peak of the German Greens' influence came under Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, when his deputy (and foreign minister) was the Greens' leader, Joschka Fischer. It was in this period that the Greens split over foreign policy, with Fischer supporting a NATO military intervention in Kosovo. The decision to decommission all of Germany's nuclear power plants by 2020 was a significant domestic victory for the Greens.
It's worth having a look at the German Greens' manifesto. The trade and foreign policy sections look much more moderate than that offered by the Australian Greens, and might be a sign of where the Australian party heads as it becomes more mainstream (or perhaps, if it wants to become more mainstream). Yes, there are vestiges of old-school socialist internationalism in the document, but here are a few notable quotes:
- The aim of sustainable development has to be anchored in the statutes of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank and reflected in the programmes they adopt.
- We support both the enlargement of the EU and the deepening of its internal integration.
- Globalisation opens up the historic opportunity to realise the humanist ideal: human beings are viewing themselves in a worldwide context of responsibility for and solidarity with each other – and acting accordingly.
- An important step towards a more equitable global economic order is the dismantling of tariff barriers in the industrialised nations.
- A relationship with the USA that – despite all our differences and disputes – remains close and cordial, and the readiness to nurture and renew our shared agenda, will be vitally important in the twenty-first century...
- We stand by Germany’s special relationship with Israel. We are also committed to keeping open the door to Europe for Turkey.
Photo by Flickr user Jack Bloom, used under a Creative Commons license.
