Red-green alliance

In politics, a red-green alliance is an alliance of "red" socialist or social democratic parties with "green" environmentalist parties. The alliance is often based on common left-wing views, especially a shared distrust of corporate or capitalist institutions. While the "red" parties tend to focus on the adverse effects of capitalism on the working class, the "green" parties tend to focus on the ecological consequences of unrestrained capitalism.

There have been two distinct types of red-green alliances. The first type is formed by centre-left parties for the short-term goal of creating a coalition government. The second type is a long-term organizational alliance of minor far-left parties for the purpose of challenging capitalism.

Red-green coalition governments
There have been a number of red-green governments in Europe since the 1990s. In Germany, a red-green coalition of the Social Democrats and Greens led by Gerhard Schröder governed the country from 1998 to 2005. In France, a coalition of the Socialist Party, Greens and French Communist Party governed from 1997 until 2002. Red-green coalition governments have also formed in Italy, Norway, Finland, and elsewhere.

Radical red-green alliances
Far-left political parties or joint electoral lists have been formed over the years, most often between Marxists and radical greens. In the Netherlands, the GreenLeft party was formed in 1989 by a merger of a communist, pacifist, leftwing christian and green parties. In Denmark, the Red-Green Alliance was formed as a coalition of numerous radical parties. Within the European Parliament, a number of far-left parties from Northern Europe have organized themselves into the Nordic Green Left Alliance. In December 2007, an Italian electoral coalition of the radical left was formed known as The Left – The Rainbow, comprising Federation of the Greens, two communist parties and a small democratic socialist party.

Canada
In Canada, the term "Red-Green Alliance" has been used to describe the limited co-operation between the Liberal Party of Canada which uses red as it's colour, and the Green Party of Canada, which is centre-left but not seen as being as radical as many of its overseas sister parties. The use of the term is also a play on the popular Canadian television show Red Green and its title character.

United Kingdom
A red-green alliance of sorts occurred during the campaign leading up to the London mayoral election, 2008. Incumbent mayor Ken Livingstone, candidate for the Labour Party, formed an electoral pact with the Green mayoral candidate Siân Berry via the supplementary voting system, in which Labour voters were encouraged to place the Green candidate as their second preference, and vice versa.

The phrase 'red-green alliance' has also been used to describe the One Wales coalition in the Welsh Assembly following the 2007 elections between the Welsh Labour Party and Plaid Cymru. However this is not a socialist-environmentalist alliance like the others listed in this article, and is named simply for the colours of the participating parties.