# Ecolo

Ecolo (French pronunciation:), officially Écologistes Confédérés pour l'organisation de luttes originales (, lit. 'Confederate Ecologists for the Organisation of Original Struggles') is a French-speaking political party in Belgium based on green politics. The party is active in Wallonia, the Brussels-Capital Region, and the German-speaking Community of Belgium.
Ecolo's Flemish equivalent is Groen; the two parties maintain close relations with each other.

## Name

Ecolo is officially a backronym for Écologistes Confédérés pour l'organisation de luttes originales "Confederated Ecologists for the Organisation of Original Struggles", but is really just short for écologistes, French for environmentalists.

## History

Ecolo was part of the 1999 Verhofstadt I Government, but withdrew from the coalition before the 2003 general election, which saw it lose nearly two thirds of its 14 federal parliamentary seats in the face of a resurgent Socialist Party. The party made quite a comeback, however, in the 2007 general election, though failing to match the peak popularity it had enjoyed in 1999. In the general election of 10 June 2007, the party won eight out of 150 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and two out of the 40 directly elected seats in the Senate.
In the 2010 elections, the party again won eight seats in the Chamber of Representatives and two in the Senate.

## Political views

Ecolo is a political party that promotes sustainable development policies, aimed at preserving the environment and combating climate change, in the interests of current and future generations. The party seeks to create a more democratic and inclusive society by encouraging new political practices and strengthening citizen participation in a model of participatory democracy.

## Election results
### Chamber of Representatives

| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Government |
| 1977 | 3,834 | 0.1 | 0 / 212 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| 1978 | 21,224 | 0.4 | 0 / 212 | 0 | Extra-parliamentary |
| 1981 | 132,312 | 2.2 | 2 / 212 | 2 | Opposition |
| 1985 | 152,483 | 2.5 | 5 / 212 | 3 | Opposition |
| 1987 | 157,988 | 2.6 | 3 / 212 | 2 | Opposition |
| 1991 | 312,624 | 5.1 | 10 / 212 | 7 | Opposition |
| 1995 | 243,362 | 4.0 | 6 / 150 | 4 | Opposition |
| 1999 | 457,281 | 7.4 | 11 / 150 | 5 | Coalition |
| 2003 | 201,118 | 3.1 | 4 / 150 | 7 | Opposition |
| 2007 | 340,378 | 5.1 | 8 / 150 | 4 | Opposition |
| 2010 | 313,047 | 4.8 | 8 / 150 | 0 | Opposition |
| 2014 | 222,524 | 3.3 | 6 / 150 | 2 | Opposition |
| 2019 | 416,452 | 6.1 | 13 / 150 | 7 | External support (2020) |
| 2019 | 416,452 | 6.1 | 13 / 150 | 7 | Coalition (2020–2025) |
| 2024 | 204,438 | 2.9 | 3 / 150 | 10 | Opposition |

### Senate

| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
| 1977 | 7,558 | 0.1 | 0 / 106 | |
| 1978 | 43,883 | 0.8 | 0 / 106 | |
| 1981 | 153,989 | 2.6 | 3 / 106 | 3 |
| 1985 | 163,361 | 2.7 | 2 / 106 | 1 |
| 1987 | 168,491 | 2.8 | 2 / 106 | |
| 1991 | 323,683 | 5.3 | 6 / 106 | 4 |
| 1995 | 258,635 | 4.3 | 2 / 40 | 4 |
| 1999 | 458,658 | 7.4 | 3 / 40 | 1 |
| 2003 | 208,868 | 3.2 | 1 / 40 | 2 |
| 2007 | 385,466 | 5.8 | 2 / 40 | 1 |
| 2010 | 353,111 | 5.5 | 2 / 40 | 0 |

### Regional
#### Brussels Parliament

| Election | Votes | % | % | Seats | +/- | Government |
| Election | Votes | F.E.C. | Overall | Seats | +/- | Government |
| 1989 | 44,874 | | 10.2 (#5) | 8 / 75 | | Opposition |
| 1995 | 37,308 | | 9.0 (#4) | 7 / 75 | 1 | Opposition |
| 1999 | 77,969 | 21.3 (#2) | 18.3 (#2) | 14 / 75 | 7 | Opposition |
| 2004 | 37,908 | 9.7 (#4) | 8.3 (#4) | 7 / 89 | 1 | Coalition |
| 2009 | 82,663 | 20.2 (#3) | 17.9 (#3) | 16 / 89 | 9 | Coalition |
| 2014 | 41,368 | 10.1 (#5) | 8.9 (#5) | 8 / 89 | 8 | Opposition |
| 2019 | 74,246 | 19.1 (#2) | 16.2 (#2) | 15 / 89 | 7 | Coalition |

#### German-speaking Community Parliament

| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Government |
| 1990 | 5,897 | 15.0 (#5) | 4 / 25 | | Opposition |
| 1995 | 5,128 | 13.9 (#4) | 3 / 25 | 1 | Opposition |
| 1999 | 4,694 | 12.7 (#5) | 3 / 25 | 0 | Coalition |
| 2004 | 2,972 | 8.2 (#5) | 2 / 25 | 1 | Opposition |
| 2009 | 4,310 | 11.5 (#5) | 3 / 25 | 1 | Opposition |
| 2014 | 3,591 | 9.5 (#6) | 2 / 25 | 1 | Opposition |
| 2019 | 4,902 | 12.5 (#5) | 3 / 25 | 1 | Opposition |
| 2024 | 3,644 | 9.1 (#6) | 2 / 25 | 1 | Opposition |

#### Walloon Parliament

| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Government |
| 1995 | 196,988 | 10.4 (#4) | 8 / 75 | | Opposition |
| 1999 | 347,225 | 18.2 (#3) | 14 / 75 | 6 | Coalition |
| 2004 | 167,916 | 8.5 (#4) | 3 / 75 | 11 | Opposition |
| 2009 | 372,067 | 18.5 (#3) | 14 / 75 | 11 | Coalition |
| 2014 | 141,813 | 8.6 (#4) | 4 / 75 | 10 | Opposition |
| 2019 | 294,631 | 14.5 (#3) | 12 / 75 | 8 | Coalition |
| 2024 | 144,189 | 7.0 (#5) | 5 / 75 | 7 | Opposition |

### European Parliament

| Election | List leader | Votes | Votes | % | % | % | Seats | +/− | EP Group |
| Election | List leader | F.E.C. | G.E.C. | F.E.C. | G.E.C. | Overall | Seats | +/− | EP Group |
| 1979 | Paul Lannoye (F.E.C.) | 107,833 | — | 5.14 (#5) | — | 1.98 | 0 / 24 | New | − |
| 1984 | François Roelants du Vivier (F.E.C.) | 220,663 | — | 9.85 (#4) | — | 3.86 | 1 / 24 | 1 | RBW |
| 1989 | Paul Lannoye (F.E.C.) | 371,053 | — | 16.56 (#4) | — | 6.29 | 2 / 24 | 1 | G |
| 1994 | Paul Lannoye (F.E.C.) Unclear (G.E.C.) | 290,859 | 5,714 | 13.02 (#4) | 14.90 (#4) | 4.97 | 1 / 25 | 1 | G |
| 1999 | Paul Lannoye (F.E.C.) Didier Cremer (G.E.C.) | 525,316 | 6,276 | 22.70 (#3) | 17.01 (#3) | 8.59 | 3 / 25 | 2 | Greens/EFA |
| 2004 | Pierre Jonckheer (F.E.C.) Lambert Jaegers (G.E.C.) | 239,687 | 3,880 | 9.84 (#4) | 10.49 (#4) | 3.75 | 1 / 24 | 2 | Greens/EFA |
| 2009 | Isabelle Durant (F.E.C.) Claudia Niessen (G.E.C.) | 562,081 | 6,025 | 22.88 (#3) | 15.58 (#3) | 8.64 | 2 / 22 | 1 | Greens/EFA |
| 2014 | Philippe Lamberts (F.E.C.) Erwin Schöpges (G.E.C.) | 285,196 | 6,429 | 11.69 (#3) | 16.66 (#2) | 4.36 | 1 / 21 | 1 | Greens/EFA |
| 2019 | Philippe Lamberts (F.E.C.) Shqiprim Thaqi (G.E.C.) | 485,655 | 6,675 | 19.91 (#2) | 16.37 (#2) | 7.31 | 2 / 21 | 1 | Greens/EFA |
| 2024 | Saskia Bricmont (F.E.C.) Shqiprim Thaqi (G.E.C.) | 259,745 | 4,819 | 10.06 (#5) | 11.10 (#6) | 3.71 | 1 / 22 | 1 | Greens/EFA |

## Elected politicians
### Current

European Parliament
* Philippe Lamberts
* Saskia Bricmont
Chamber of Representatives
* 2010 – 2014:
* Ronny Balcaen
* Juliette Boulet
* Olivier Deleuze (resigned in 2012; replaced by Lahssaini Fouad)
* Zoé Genot
* Muriel Gerkens
* Georges Gilkinet
* Eric Jadot
* Thérèse Snoy et d'Oppuers
Brussels-Capital Region Parlement
* 2009 – 2014:
* Aziz Albishari
* Dominique Braeckman
* Jean-Claude Defosse
* Céline Delforge
* Anne Dirix
* Anne Herscovici
* Zakia Khattabi
* Vincent Lurquin
* Alain Maron
* Jacques Morel
* Ahmed Mouhssin
* Marie Nagy
* Yaron Pesztat
* Arnaud Pinxteren
* Barbara Trachte
* Vincent Vanhalewyn

### Past

European Parliament
* 1989 - 1994
* Brigitte Ernst de la Greate
Chamber of Representatives
* 1995 – 1999:
* Philippe Dallons
* Olivier Deleuze
* Thierry Detienne
* Mylène Nys (20 April 1999) (replaced Vincent Decroly)
* Martine Schüttringer
* Jean-Pierre Viseur
* 1999 – 2003:
* Marie-Thérèse Coenen
* Martine Dardenne
* Vincent Decroly
* Olivier Deleuze → Zoé Genot (14 July 1999)
* Thierry Detienne → Muriel Gerkens (23 July 1999)
* Claudine Drion
* Michèle Gilkinet
* Mirella Minne
* Géraldine Pelzer-Salandra
* Paul Timmermans → Bernard Baille (1 September 2002)
* Jean-Pierre Viseur → Gérard Gobert (10 January 2001)
* 2003–2007:
* Zoé Genot (replaced Olivier Deleuze)
* Muriel Gerkens
* Gérard Gobert (replaced Jean-Marc Nollet)
* Marie Nagy
* 2007–2010:
* Juliette Boulet
* Zoé Genot
* Muriel Gerkens
* Georges Gilkinet
* Philippe Henry
* Fouad Lahssaini
* Jean-Marc Nollet
* Thérèse Snoy et d'Oppuers
Brussels-Capital Region Parlement
* 2004–2009:
* Dominique Braeckman
* Alain Daems
* Céline Delforge
* Christos Doulkeridis
* Josy Dubié
* Paul Galand
* Yaron Pesztat

## Important figures

* José Daras
* Josy Dubié
* Isabelle Durant
* Muriel Gerkens
* Evelyne Huytebroeck
* Jacky Morael
* Patrick Dupriez
* Zakia Khattabi
* Jean-Marc Nollet [fr]
* Hélène Ryckmans
* Tom Zoete