On the occasion of World Earth Day on 22 April, the Francophone green party Ecolo launched its 'Printemps Populaire' ("People's Spring") initiative for direct democracy on Tuesday evening.
"A new season is beginning," said the party's co-leaders Marie Lecocq and Samuel Cogolati, during an evening where they announced a tour of cafés and the launch of a 'Popular Echo' platform on which citizens can express their ideas on a new theme every week.
After losing the elections on 9 June, Ecolo launched a movement to rebuild its party. While not an official rebrand, the 'Printemps Populaire' movement is structured around three priorities: defending the planet against climate change, social dignity as a fundamental right, and resisting the authoritarian excesses shaking the democratic societies.
"We are aware that the time has come for a democratic revolution. For a long time, Ecolo thought that we were the best and that all we had to do was reform the institutions. We were wrong," said Lecocq. "We need love and humanity. Where do we find these things? At the café on the corner. That's where our experiences are compared, it's the cradle of resistance and the birthplace of revolutions."
Reconnecting with citizens
Following the success of the party's survey conducted among more than 18,500 people, Lecocq explained that the results were a wake-up call. "We took some punches. Real ones, useful ones, but ones that woke us up. Above all, this survey offered us a huge opportunity: to reconnect with citizens."
"While the engineers of chaos try to pit people against each other, we build something in common. We resist. Together," said Lecocq. "Starting tomorrow, we will be organising a tour of popular cafés to hear what Belgians have to say about what's on their minds."
With this initiative, Ecolo wants to revitalise democracy. "We vote every five years and, in the meantime, nothing happens. That is why Belgians are losing interest in politics. Doing politics differently must once again become our trademark," said Cogolati.
Ecolo co-leaders Samuel Cogolati and Marie Lecocq. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
The two co-leaders were elected to lead the party on 13 July under the banner of 'Popular ecology'. "Tonight is a tipping point, the two levers on a long road to reawaken our movement, an ecology that brings people together and reaches out," he added.
The centre-right parties in the Federal Government have been the targets of the ecologists. Francophone liberal MR, Flemish right-wing N-VA, but also centrist Les Engagés and socialist Vooruit have been accused of "contempt" for the weakest members of society. "No, there will never be a valid reason to say that someone is less than someone else. We will never allow our social ideal to be attacked," said Lecocq.
Still, defending the environment remains Ecolo's top priority. "The world is coming to the end of its tether. It is time to say stop: this world has limits, planetary limits, and we are going to face up to these limits with determination. We are going to defend an ecology of the 90% that involves everyone in the transition."
