Green Alternative (Russia)

Green Alternative
Зелёная альтернатива
AbbreviationGA (English)
ЗА (Russian)
ChairmanRuslan Khvostov
Deputy chairmanStepan Soloviev
Informal leaderVasya Lozhkin
Founded10 March 2020 (2020-03-10)
Registered7 April 2020
Dissolved26 April 2026 (2026-04-26)
Merged intoRussian Ecological Party "The Greens"
Headquarters17, Dukhovskoy Lane, Moscow
IdeologyGreen politics
Political positionCentre-left
Colours  Green
Seats in the Federation Council
0 / 170
Seats in the State Duma
0 / 450
Seats in the Regional Parliaments
2 / 3,983
Website
zaecology.ru

Green Alternative (GA; Russian: Зелёная альтернатива; ЗА, romanized: Zelyonaya al'ternativa, ZA) was a green political party in Russia. It was founded in December 2019 as a social movement by its chairman Ruslan Khvostov. It held its founding party congress in March 2020 and was officially registered as a political party with the Ministry of Justice the following month. The party won two seats in the 2020 regional elections: one in the Komi Republic and another in the Chelyabinsk Oblast. In 2026, the party merged into the Russian Ecological Party "The Greens" after five years of non-participation in regional and national elections.

History

Green Alternative was created as a social movement in December 2019 by environmental activist and former Mestnye member Ruslan Khvostov.[1] Documents for its registration as a political party were submitted to the Ministry of Justice in February 2020.[2] The founding party congress of Green Alternative was subsequently held on 10 March 2020, and Khvostov was elected party leader with almost 80% of the vote. The artist Vasya Lozhkin was also elected as the "informal leader" of the party.[3] On 7 April 2020, the party was officially registered by the Ministry of Justice and in May it received the right to participate in elections.[4][5][6]

The party contested the 2020 regional elections, receiving 10% of the vote in the Komi Republic and 5.4% in the Chelyabinsk Oblast, and winning a seat in both federal subjects' parliaments.[7][8] Because the party won seats in regional parliaments, it gained the right to participate in federal parliamentary elections without collecting signatures.[9]

In the 2021 legislative elections, Green Alternative came twelfth, winning 0.64% of the popular vote and no seats.[10]

On 26 April 2026, in anticipation of the 2026 State Duma election, the Green Alternative and the Russian Ecological Party "The Greens" merged into a single party, with the heads of regional branches and party activists of the Green Alternative joining The Greens.[11][12] Konstantin Atayan, Executive Secretary of The Greens Federal Council, noted that the unification "is necessary to take the environmental agenda to a new level and to ensure that leaders who care about nature can successfully participate in elections."[13] The merger occurred because since 2025, the Green Alternative lost the right to nominate candidates for the State Duma without collecting signatures due to its non-participation in regional elections.[14]

Ideology

Green Alternative did not associate itself exclusively with the environmental movement, calling itself a "moderate left-wing environmental party of the European type".[1]

Leadership

Ruslan Khvostov was the chairman of the party, while Stepan Soloviev was deputy chairman. Vasya Lozhkin was the "informal leader" of the party.[15]

Election results

State Duma election results of Green Alternative
Election Party leader Performance Rank Government
Votes % ± pp Seats +/–
2021 Ruslan Khvostov 357,855
0.64%
 New
0 / 450
 New 12th Extra-parliamentary

References

  1. 1 2 "Новая 'зеленая' партия решила выдвинуть в Думу художника Васю Ложкина" [The new 'green' party has decided to nominate artist Vasya Lozhkin to the Duma]. Interfax (in Russian). 4 February 2020. Archived from the original on 5 June 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  2. ↑ "В России анонсировали появление новой экологической партии. На довыборы в Госдуму от нее может пойти художник Вася Ложкин" [A new environmental party has been announced in Russia. Artist Vasya Lozhkin may run for the State Duma by-election]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). 4 February 2020. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  3. ↑ "Василий Ложкин выбран неформальным лидером партии 'Зеленая Альтернатива'" [Vasily Lozhkin elected as informal leader of the 'Green Alternative' party]. Moskovskij Komsomolets (in Russian). 11 March 2020. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "Политическая партия 'Зелёная альтернатива'" [Political party 'Green Alternative'] (in Russian). Ministry of Justice. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  5. ↑ "Минюст зарегистрировал партии 'За правду', 'Новые люди' и 'Зеленая альтернатива'" [The Ministry of Justice has registered the parties 'For Truth', 'New People' and 'Green Alternative'] (in Russian). TASS. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "Минюст разрешил партии 'Зеленая альтернатива' участвовать в выборах" [The Ministry of Justice has allowed the 'Green Alternative' party to participate in the elections] (in Russian). TASS. 21 May 2020.
  7. ↑ "'Единая Россия' победила на выборах депутатов госсовета Коми" ['United Russia' Wins Komi State Council Elections]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 14 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "Избирком Челябинской области опубликовал итоговую явку на выборах" [The Chelyabinsk Region Electoral Commission has published the final turnout in the elections]. Kommersant (in Russian). 15 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "В выборах в Госдуму в 2021 году 16 партий смогут участвовать без сбора подписей" [16 parties will be able to participate in the 2021 State Duma elections without collecting signatures] (in Russian). TASS. 14 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "Выборы депутатов Государственной Думы Федерального Собрания Российской Федерации восьмого созыва" [Elections of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the eighth convocation] (in Russian). 19 September 2021. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  11. ↑ "Партии «Зеленые» и «Зеленая альтернатива» объединились в одну". Коммерсантъ (in Russian). 26 April 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Партии «Зелёные» и «Зелёная альтернатива» объединились". stolicaonego.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  13. ↑ Никифорова, Наталья (3 August 2026). "Экологические партии России объединились для борьбы за экологию". RuNews24.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Обновленные "Зеленые" выставят кандидатов в Госдуму по всем одномандатным округам". Interfax.ru (in Russian). 28 April 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Правление партии" [Party board] (in Russian). Green Alternative. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.