Sir, - As a former Green Party TD, I was saddened by the decision of the German Greens to sell out to the establishment by agreeing to coalesce with the SDP in return for a slice of the action.
Superficially the deal looks a major advance for the greens, with the government's commitment to close nuclear power plants. However, if one looks more closely at what the Greens have conceded, then the picture is not so rosy. Of course in any coalition there has to be compromise, cherished policies have to be put on the backburner. Surely, you may say, this is all part of the cut and thrust of party politics.
Ah! There's the rub! Die Grunen was formed as an anti-party party. It was always supposed to be different from, and Greens like to think, superior to, established political parties. Now they have become part of the establishment. There are many fundamental differences between the coalition partners, particularly in areas such as economic growth and the power of big business. In fact, the SDP have much more in common with the CDU than they have with the Greens.
It would have been far better for the Greens to remain out of coalition but support a minority SDP government, in return for the concessions they have extracted from the SDP. This would enable them to speak out fearlessly on green issues and to vote against government bills. Surely, they must realise that individually, government ministers have very little power. All major decisions are made by cabinet at which they will always be out-voted. They will also find the "permanent government" of the civil service most unresponsive to innovation.
I can only hope that the Green Party here will not be tempted to follow the same road. They only have to look at what has happened to DL and the PD's - Yours, etc., Roger Garland,
Butterfield Drive,
Dublin 14.