Editing Ecological Democratic Party (section)

==History==
The Ecological Democratic Party is a [[green party]] that is active throughout Germany and has its clear focus in [[Bavaria]].

The party's rise is closely linked to its founder, the politician and environmentalist [[Herbert Gruhl]]. Gruhl was Member of the [[Bundestag]] from 1969 to 1980 and member of [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]. The founding of ÖDP dates back on the ecological movement in the 1970s. Gruhl gained attention by publishing a best-seller in 1975: "Ein Planet wird geplündert" (A Planet is Being Plundered). In the book he criticized the growth-oriented economy of industrial society. He also attacked nuclear energy policy and thus represented a clear minority position among Christian Democrats, while an intensive discussion was already developing in the SPD about a possible nuclear phase-out. Gruhl left the CDU in 1978 but stayed as non-partisan member of the Bundestag until 1980. He founded the "Grüne Aktion Zukunft" (GAZ), which later became part of [[Alliance 90/The Greens|The Greens]]. Gruhl lost the election for party chairman. Gruhl had a more conservative [[consistent life ethic]] ("Lebensschutzkonzeption"), which addresses besides environmentalism also the rejection of [[abortion]], [[euthanasia]] and the [[death penalty]]. Also his policy was referred as [[Ethnocentrism|ethno-centric]]. Gruhl left the Greens and, in 1982, founded the ÖDP.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ökologisch-Demokratische Partei (ÖDP) – Historisches Lexikon Bayerns|url=https://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/Lexikon/%C3%96kologisch-Demokratische_Partei_(%C3%96DP)|access-date=2022-01-05|website=www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de}}</ref>

Though a minor party – it has not gained seats in a state parliament or in the [[Bundestag]] – the ÖDP became notable for its involvement in the opposition to a [[Czech Republic|Czech]] nuclear reactor in [[Temelín]], across the border from Bavaria. It led an initiative for a popular referendum to abolish the [[Bavarian Senate]] (that state's upper house) which was successful. 

It brought a lawsuit against a law in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] which requires parties to receive 5% of the vote in order to take their seats in local councils, as well as a national law which reserves state financing only for parties that got more than one percent of the vote in at least three state elections; both laws were overturned.

In the [[1983 West German federal election|1983 federal election]], the party received 0.03% of the national vote (11,028 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestag election 1983 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/1983.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[1984 European Parliament election in West Germany|1984 European parliament elections]], the party received 0.3% of the national vote (77,026 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Parliament election 1984 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/europawahlen/1984.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[1987 West German federal election|1987 federal election]], the party received 0.3% of the national vote (109,152 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestag election 1987 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/1987.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[1989 European Parliament election in West Germany|1989 European parliament elections]], the party received 0.7% of the national vote (184,309 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Parliament election 1989 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/europawahlen/1989.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[1990 German federal election|1990 federal election]], the party received 0.4% of the national vote (205,206 votes in total), its best result in a federal election.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestag election 1990 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/1990.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[1994 European Parliament election in Germany|1994 European parliament elections]], the party received 0.8% of the national vote (273,776 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Parliament election 1994 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/europawahlen/1994.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[1994 German federal election|1994 federal election]], the party received 0.4% of the national vote (183,715 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestag election 1994 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/1994.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref> 

In the [[1998 German federal election|1998 federal election]], the party received 0.2% of the national vote (98,257 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestag election 1998 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/1998.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[1999 European Parliament election in Germany|1999 European parliament elections]], the party received 0.4% of the national vote (100,048 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Parliament election 1999 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/europawahlen/1999.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2002 German federal election|2002 federal election]], the party received 0.1% of the national vote (56,898 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestag election 2002 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2002.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2004 European Parliament election in Germany|2004 European parliament elections]], the party received 0.6% of the national vote (145,537 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Parliament election 2004 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/europawahlen/2004.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

The ÖDP did not participate in the [[2005 German federal election|2005 federal election]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestag election 2005 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2005.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the 2009 European parliament elections, the party received 0.5% of the national vote (134,893 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Parliament election 2009 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/europawahlen/2009.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2009 German federal election|2009 federal election]], the party received 0.3% of the national vote (132,249 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestag election 2009 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2009.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2013 German federal election|2013 federal election]], the party received 0.3% of the national vote (127,088 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Results Germany - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2013/ergebnisse/bund-99.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2014 European Parliament election in Germany|2014 European parliament elections]], the party received 0.7% of the national vote (185,119 votes in total) and returned a single [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/de/europawahlen/EU_BUND_14/ergebnisse/bundesergebnisse/ |title=Übersicht |access-date=23 November 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705072802/http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/de/europawahlen/EU_BUND_14/ergebnisse/bundesergebnisse/ |archive-date=5 July 2015 }}</ref> The MEP, [[Klaus Buchner]], joined [[The Greens–European Free Alliance]] (Greens/EFA) parliamentary group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greens-efa.eu/up-to-date-list-of-the-meps-for-the-new-legislative-period-12490.html|title=Up-to-date list of the MEPs for the new legislative period|work=greens-efa.eu|access-date=13 October 2016}}</ref>

In the [[2017 German federal election|2017 federal election]], the party received 0.3% of the national vote (144,809 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Results Germany - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2017/ergebnisse/bund-99.html |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2019 European Parliament election in Germany|2019 European parliament elections]], the party received 1.0% of the national vote (369,869 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Results Germany - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/europawahlen/2019/ergebnisse/bund-99.html |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref> Klaus Buchner was re-elected to the European Parliament, however he was replaced in July 2020 with [[Manuela Ripa]].

In the [[2021 German federal election|2021 federal election]], the party received 0.2% of the national vote (112,131 votes in total). This was its poorest performance in a federal election since 2005, when it did not participate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Results Germany - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2021/ergebnisse/bund-99.html |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2024 European Parliament election in Germany|2024 European parliament elections]], the party received a decreased 0.7% of the national vote (257,968 votes in total). Manuela Ripa was re-elected to the European parliament.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ergebnisse Deutschland - Die Bundeswahlleiterin |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/europawahlen/2024/ergebnisse/bund-99.html |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>