Redefining red and green : ideology and strategy in European political ecology /

Shull offers a timely and compelling investigation into the politics of "progressive parties" in Germany and France. Comparing two of Western Europe's most successful ecological parties, Die Grunen in Germany and Les Verts in France, Shull asks why organizations often subsumed under the common label "green" frequently diverge in their programmatic demands, in their visions of a just society, and in their choices of how to work within the existing political process. The answer, he finds, lies in the interaction between ecologists and the more established socialist and social democratic parties. The strength and ideological positions of the Parti Socialiste Francais (PS) and the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD) have helped shape the ways ecologists in their respective countries frame their own ideological ends. Drawing on evidence from the Gruen's and Verts's campaign manifestos, internal party documents, and leaders' statements and writings, Shull effectively highlights the tensions and tradeoffs between efficacy and identity green parties face. In seeking to apply and revise Herbert Kitschelt s theoretical work in The Logics of Party Formation (CH, Jan'90), this book places itself in the middle of current political science literature dealing with ecological politics and social democracy in Europe. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty interested in the politics of new social movements. W. M. Downs Georgia State University