1985 IS GOING to be a crucial year for the West German Green Party, the most radical force in the parliamentary politics of a major European country today. Their conference, however — held in Hamburg just before Christmas -that the Greens are equipped to meet the challenges ahead.
Swept into parliament on tne back or lue powerful wave of protests by the against the deployment of CUSt Pershing missiles, and riding higher than ever before in the opinion polls, the Greens have yet to solve a basic strategic dilemma.
they align nitensele with the Socialist Party(SPD) forging a new, red-green majority which the CDU their liberal coalition partners power at both central and regional government level, 'fundamental' opposition all the established parties?
gave little indication This issue dominated the Hamburg congress and She middle. The national the middle. national executive and the majority of the parliamentary party favour TENN while some regions and a minority of Green MPs argue favour of an alliance with the SPD, including the possibility of coalition government.
In the end, after heated and often vicious debates, compromise which left the decision of the local and regional adopted federal level, after all, urgency to LICe make a decision right now.
With the SPD-Green agreement in the state of Hesse just having collapsed, and three important regional elections coming up in West Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia (the important industrial heartGermany, and orweg where the SPD is likely to lose its absolute majority)
Saarland (where the SPD is led by Oskar sometimes dubbed 'German activists local pally without a clear orientation.
At the same time, the mass peace movement to which the Greens owe their electoral success has experienced some decline after des lament ore ene missiles, its federal coordinating bureau nearly split up after demands Christian groups to abandon in favour of period of 'reflection'.
Again the Greens were incapable of giving a lead and forced to steer a mid. dle course between the Christian-pacifist and the pro-Moscow West • Communist ParCelial ty.
At the heart of the Greens' problems lies developing split two factions: a reformist wing walch sees Is olg term role as the 'ecology peace conscience ol social fundamentalist wing with delusions about its ability replace the historical role the organised workers' movement with its 'new politics'.
It is a choice between adaptation to the pressures parliamentary politik and an impotent being, both wings held together by their electoral success. Any serious setback on that front may well threaten the unity of the party.
to base Prison theoretical Socialist Action 18 January 1985 activity, peasants' In order to fight for the dictator-