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Petra Kelly

Caroline Lucas explores the impact of the radical German politician Petra Kelly who founded Die GrΓΌnen and inspired a generation of European Green politicians.

Petra Kelly did more than perhaps anyone else to raise the profile of green politics. As the most prominent member of West Germany’s Green Party, Die GrΓΌnen, Kelly’s energetic campaigning played a critical role in catapulting her party to electoral success in the 1983 Bundestag elections, where they won 27 seats.

Outside Germany, Kelly was an internationally famous campaigner against nuclear weapons and nuclear power, issues which galvanised the early green movement. But in 1992, at the age of just 44, Kelly was found dead in mysterious circumstances, alongside her lover Gert Bastian.

The Green Party MP Caroline Lucas looks back on the career of a politician who inspired her and considers Petra Kelly’s relevance to the environmental movement today.

β€œFor Petra Kelly, green politics was never confined to Parliament,” she says, β€œit happened out on the streets, embracing non-violent protest and direct action.”

Producer: Dan Hardoon
Series Editor: David Prest
A Whistledown Production in association with The Open University.

Available now

14 minutes

Last on

Sun 1 Aug 2021 14:45

Broadcasts

  • Wed 8 Jan 2020 13:45
  • Sun 1 Aug 2021 00:15
  • Sun 1 Aug 2021 14:45

Hear our β€˜Stories of Change’ interviews with various experts and campaigners for further in depth discussions.

Explore more on environmental issues and climate change with The Open University.