The Greens, who secured their highest number of seats in European parliamentary elections in 2019, are currently experiencing a decline in their polling numbers, while support for the conservative party is ascendant, the New York Times reports.
This comes as European farmers and conservative politicians have pushed back on The Greens' ambitious climate agenda through mass protests and activism. The European Union ratified the European Green Deal, which established a legally enforceable goal to cut emissions by 55 percent by 2030.
To achieve that goal, the law set a 2035 deadline on the sales of new gas-powered cars and expanded the price that industries must pay for emitting greenhouse gases, which has negatively impacted the farming and agriculture communities.
The European Conservatives and Reformists Party denounced the European Green Deal, claiming it unfairly targets farmers. The law sets aside land for restoration rather than agriculture, which conservatives believe is the most "problematic objective" in the legislation.
At a time when economies around the world are recovering from inflation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, European voters are feeling the burden of high prices, and the European Green Deal only adds to an increase in costs for goods. For this, the Green Party has lost support and voters are moving towards of more economically conservative legislature this election cycle, per the NYT.
