The election of an “eco-populist” at the head of the British Greens is a shock
Elected with an overwhelming majority as leader of the Green Party of England and Wales on Tuesday, September 2, Zack Polanski intends to counter the populist right by harnessing popular anger to promote environmentalism. In the process, the forty-year-old is shaking up a party that is booming but known for its caution.
The ground has shaken beneath the feet of the British Greens. No hydraulic fracturing on the horizon. The party is opposed to it. And the practice has no place in the UK anyway.
On Tuesday, September 2, the earthquake was democratic. The Green Party of England and Wales elected a self-proclaimed “eco-populist” as its new leader. With 85% of the members' vote, the outgoing vice-leader, Zack Polanski, 42, crushed his rivals, a tandem composed of new parliamentarians elected in the 2024 parliamentary elections, Adrian Ramsay (also the outgoing co-leader) and Ellie Chowns.
“The vote exposed profound questions about the party's identity and how it positions itself in a rapidly changing political landscape,” The Guardian points out . “Broadly speaking, members had two options: a cautious approach (considered too timid and uninspiring by Polanski) and a radical and divisive strategy (which risks scaring off more moderate voters). Voters bet on the second option.”
Undoubtedly, the Green Party was already firmly anchored to the left of the political spectrum: last year, its legislative programme included a proposal for a wealth tax, the nationalisation of the railways,
Courrier International
