Pragmatism paints a paler shade of Green
Climate climb-downs fail to damage Germany’s Greens
Imagine being a Green party in a crisis-hit government. Which news image would you dread more: footage of monster mechanical claws tearing up lush fields to expand a coal mine, or of a riot squad dragging away Greta Thunberg, the impish, Swedish-born patron saint of climate-change activism?
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “A paler shade of Green”
Europe
February 4th 2023
From the February 4th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionThe dangerous tension in Europe’s response to Trump
By trying to stop the rift, Europe may hasten it

Can Friedrich Merz get Europe out of its funk?
A new Merz-mentum could reboot the Franco-German motor at the heart of the EU
Can Europe keep Ukraine in the fight if America really has bailed?
Investing in Ukraine’s own weapons industry will be the best bet
As Trump suspends military aid, what are the chokeholds on Ukraine?
The war-torn country can substitute some—but nothing like all—of the kit it gets from America
Europe vows to defend Ukraine, but prays for Trump’s support
A summit in London is stalked by the fear America will walk away