High Stakes Alert: European Greens Urge Jill Stein to Withdraw from Race

European representatives from various Green parties have expressed deep concerns about the diverging paths of the U.S. Green Party and its candidate, Jill Stein, from the global Green values. They have publicly urged Stein to withdraw from the presidential contest to prevent Republican nominee Donald Trump from securing the presidency.

“The importance of this election cannot be overstated,” states a collective letter from politicians and parties from countries like Norway, Belgium, France, and Ireland. “It is clear to us that [Democratic Vice President] Kamala Harris is the sole candidate capable of hindering Donald Trump and his undemocratic, authoritarian agenda from entering the White House.”

Stein, a veteran of four presidential campaigns, garnered 1.4 million votes in 2016. Currently, she polls between 1.1% and 1.4% and appears on the ballot in most states, including nearly all key battlegrounds.

The coalition of European Greens has declared their commitment to “a political agenda that elevates the planet, people, and peace over corporate greed, systemic injustice, and violence.”

According to the letter, spearheaded by European Greens co-chairs Mélanie Vogel, a French senator, and Thomas Waitz, an Austrian MEP, “The U.S. Greens have ceased to be part of the global Green party network.” This separation was partly due to “their alliances with parties led by authoritarian figures and significant policy disagreements on numerous issues, including the full-scale Russian attack on Ukraine.”

In 2015, Stein attended a dinner in Russia where she was seen with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has since been critical of U.S. support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion that started in 2022.

In a mid-October event, Stein appeared with former Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant, who openly stated Stein’s slim chances of winning. At this Michigan event, Sawant criticized Kamala Harris for her support of the Biden administration’s policies in Israel and Palestine, implying a preference for a Trump presidency over a Harris victory in the upcoming November 5 election.

“The U.S. Green Party is targeting a niche group of left-wing voters who are disillusioned with the Democrats,” said Carl Roberts, a spokesperson for Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, a political foundation linked to the German Green Party, in a discussion with The Guardian in September. “This approach seems misaligned with other Green parties, which prioritize environmental issues in their messaging and campaigns.”

Oras Tynkkynen, a Finnish Parliament member from the Green Party, emphasized supporting Harris as “the logical choice” for anyone embracing Green values.

The European Greens highlighted in their Friday missive that the U.S. elections are occurring at a pivotal moment for our planet.

“We are confronted with an escalating climate crisis characterized by annual heatwaves, floods, and unprecedented biodiversity loss. We believe that democratic institutions, which are at risk if Trump wins, are essential for effective climate policies. Given the tight race, we urge Jill Stein to step down and endorse Kamala Harris for U.S. president.”