In an atmosphere of joy, strength and renewal the XIII Congress of the Greens was held this weekend at the College of the Polytechnical University of Gandia, which, with the participation of hundreds of delegates from the Canary Islands, Melilla, Andalusia, Castilla and León, Galicia, Madrid and Valencia, has approved the strategic document of the Greens for the next four years and a new constitution that, according to their spokesperson, Joan Francesc Peris «represents a new political phase of the Greens thirty years after our foundation with the Tenerife Manifesto inspired by Petra Kelly. Now we organizationally move with greater cohesion and territorial implementation and deepen our assembly tradition giving all political power to local assemblies which will directly elect their representatives in the Federal Assembly, the highest governing body of the Greens between Congresses«.
The Greens Congress has had the presence of representatives of the PSOE-PSPV, United Left, Republican Left of the Valencian Country, Intersindical, Escola Valencian School, and the Union of Farmers and Stockbreeders and also with international representatives as the Secretary General of the Party of the Authenticity and Modernity of Morocco, a representation of the PLO and the Palestinian Democratic Front and the Green Party of Morocco. They have spoken to the plenary of the Congress of the Greens.
The new leadership of the Greens was elected with 90% of votes in favor and 10% blank votes, with no votes against. Besides Joan Francesc Peris has been chosen spokesperson and head of the Department of Communication and Strategy of the party, Toni Roderic –Presidence and responsable for the Area of Organization and Finance – Jose Manuel Dolon – Municipal Policy-, Nuria Muñoz -Policies of Equality and Women, Mari Carmen Rodríguez -Policies for sustainability-, Pura Peris -Programme and Basic Services, Juan Manuel Román -Policies of Inclusion, Human Rights and Animal Rights and Arturo Jornet –Area of Youth- .
In his first speech as the new spokesperson for the Greens in the Spanish State, Peris said that «The Greens will continue pledging in its unified strategy to defeat the PP from our historical indignation of 30 years in Spain but providing our green program, our ideas, our proposals, our initials … the Greens have been rebels for many years and we have a political program for cities and towns in Spain that we are going to bring together with the forces of the left and citizens in every town and in every region of the country«.
Joan Francesc Peris, who has highlighted the presence in the XIII Congress of Delegates and Green representatives of the different territories throughout the State stressed the commitment of the Greens for the unity of political ecology and, thus, made an emotional appeal to the vibrant unity of all the Greens in the historic Green Party, noting that the new statutes of the Greens allow all green parties and environmentalists in Spain participate in the Federal Assembly of the Greens which will meet annually.
«All Greens fit in this party which was founded by Petra Kelly. Above differences and nuances, any person feeling Green and aspiring to a sustainable society will have a place and a voice in the Green Party, which wants to be the home of the Spanish political ecology» -said Peris.
The Greens have passed several resolutions at its Congress, among which a proposal of a Green Jobs Plan with the creation of 2.5 million jobs in the European Union until 2020, the CAP reform to support Mediterranean agriculture the solidarity support to the Palestinian people and the boycott of arms business in European countries with Israel, the prohibition of any type of bullfights throughout the Spanish territory, a Policy of Peace and Disarmament for international relations and all kind of conflicts between states, and the opposition of the Greens to the new election law announced by the PP which aims to reform the manner of electing mayors.