Europe's Greens are on fire... and it's not just because of the sweltering heat | The Guardian - Opinion |

A s Europe suffers another summer of record-breaking heatwaves, it is worth reflecting on the group perhaps least happy to benefit from the soaring temperatures - Green parties across the continent, which are, however, in a better electoral position than ever.

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In 2016, only 6% of EU citizens listed the environment as one of the two most important issues affecting their country. Just two years later, this figure had risen to 14% and is still climbing. In the latest Eurobarometer - a survey which monitors public opinion in every member state - 22% of Germans, 41% of Dutch and 39% of Swedes ranked "the environment, climate and energy" as one of their country's top two most important issues. By contrast, southern and eastern Europeans remain fairly uninterested - just 1% of Greeks picked the issue in 2018, the same as in 2005. The UK ranks somewhere in the middle, at 11%, though this summer has seen a sharp increase.

Why is the salience of the environment soaring? Historically, some academics have played down the effects of "real-world" events or citizens' abilities to deduce which issues matter, instead emphasising strategic manipulation of the agenda by the media and politicians. While these certainly count, the salience of the environment, like that of most other issues, ultimately does reflect real events.

If western European social democratic parties want to regain offices of state, I'd suggest they offer ambitious proposals on the environment.

○ How Green Party Gains Could Make Europe a Leader Again on Climate | Yale360 |
○ The extremist Green party is trying to overthrow capitalism | City AM - London |

City AM Newspaper: One of the founders, Leonid Rozhetskin, disappeared in 2008 and was confirmed dead in 2013. His body was found in a Latvian forest.

'Sapere aude'