Goodbye to movement politics? Organisational adaptation of the German green party

Abstract

Following the unexpected failure of the West German Green Party to cross the five per cent hurdle in the first all‐German elections the Greens have implemented substantial organisational reform. The electoral decline of the Green Party, which became already visible before unification, can partially be attributed to organisational deficiencies. Some of the organisational principles of grassroots democracy have proven to be incompatible with the need for efficient political performance under the conditions of parliamentary democracy. In addition, effects of the political system of the Federal Republic have changed the distribution of power between party arenas, thereby necessitating organisational adaption. It can be concluded that the Greens have succeeded in creating a more efficient organisational structure without sacrificing the central elements of grass‐roots democracy. This has been an important step towards electoral consolidation, since the politics of the united Germany will hold a less favourable political climate for Green success, which will make them more dependent on their own political performance.