Antoine Waechter
Antoine Waechter is a Politician French of tendency ecologist, born the February 11th 1949 with Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin).
Biography
Antoine Waechter invests itself very early in the defense of nature. Born in 1949 in Mulhouse, it founds since 1965 the Mulhousian section of the Young Friends of the animals. As from 1967 it fights in favor of the safeguarding of fauna and the natural zones: reintroduction of the beavers in Alsace, battles for Vanoise in 1970, called in question of several road or industrial building sites, foundation of the first academy of the regional sites in 1976. It becomes departmental president then general secretary of the Alsace Federation of regional Association for protection of nature (regional section of the French federation of the companies of protection of nature and the Environment, called today natural France environment)In 1973, it takes part in the emergence of the one of the first political movements ecologist in France: Ecology and Survival, with Solange Fernex. He is also member of the Ecomovement founded following the candidature of Rene Dumont for presidential of 1974. He will be also member of the Mouvement of ecology policy which is one of the movements from which the Greens result.
He is one of the four spokesperson nationals of the Verts as of their foundation in 1984.
Appear most conspicuous of motion “the ecology is not to marry” which gains the majority at the general meeting of the Greens of 1986 by reaffirming the strict autonomy and ideological and electoral independence of the movement after temptations of agreement to the “left of the left” carried out by Yves Cochet and the majority which followed the foundation of the Greens, Antoine Waechter was one of the most outstanding figures of the party ecologist until his departure in 1994.
He was the candidate of the Verts to the presidency of the Republic (presidential election of 1988). He obtained 3,78% there, being located behind André Lajoinie (PCF) and in front of Pierre Juquin (communist dissident) and Arlette Laguiller (LO). This result was considered honourable.
In March 1989, he becomes city council man of Mulhouse. the Greens bore in the big cities. Three months later, in June, the list which it leads to the European elections obtains 10,8% (1 922.945 votes) and 9 seats, it is the best result ever obtained by the Greens with this election. He is elected appointed European.
In March 1992, the Greens and Génération ecology of Brice Lalonde obtain each one approximately 7%. Antoine Waechter is elected Regional adviser of Alsace.
At the General meeting of Lille in 1993, the motion which it supports is put in minority and it is Dominique Voynet which becomes the spokesperson most influential of the movement. He is opposed to the electoral alliances that opposite motion wants to conclude as of the first turn with the left in the elections with the majority poll.
He leaves the Greens in 1994 and founds the Mouvement independent ecologist (MEI). This party will not succeed in taking again with the Greens the image ecology policy in France and will end up any more not gathering but a few hundreds of members.
In 2005 he comes to a conclusion for “yes” with the referendum about TCE whereas the majority of MEI decides in favor of “Not” in an internal referendum. He makes replace his opponents at the National council what involves new departures of members and persons in charge of which some join the Greens and fact countryside while taking part in public meetings organized by the line.
After its departure of the Greens it will try with each presidential election to be presented but will not obtain the necessary signatures of elected officials. MEI chose it like candidate for the presidential election of 2007, but he decided in favor of a possible candidature of Nicolas Hulot but in front of the not-candidature for this last, he will withdraw presidential race only on March 14th, 2007 with 305 sponsorships out of the 500 necessary ones (Reuters Dispatch). In practice it disappeared from the political scene since years, the Greens having by the number of their militants and their elected officials a visibility that the MEI forever which been able to obtain. The last great appearance media of Antoine Waechter goes back in August 2003 when it had come at the Days from summer from the Greens; the press then wondered whether it were going to adhere again to the movement which it had left nine years earlier.
It keeps nevertheless a higher visibility in its area in Alsace where the list of the MEI than it led to the regional elections of 2004 passed the 5% in the absence of a list of the Greens, those having given up presenting itself to be integrated into the list of the Socialist party but even this last bastion sank with legislative of 2007.
For the presidential election of 2007, fault of being able to arise, it supported Francois Bayrou what involved additional departures in what remained MEI.
Political thought
As of the beginning of the Years 1970, Antoine Waechter estimates that the action ecologist must exceed the framework of associations and to develop in a true political party. Thus it creates the movement “Ecology and Survival” in 1971. Vis-a-vis Brice Lalonde which prefers to act through associative networks such as the Amis of the Earth, Waechter takes part in the creation of the Mouvement of ecology policy (MEP) then takes part in the creation of the Verts.He refuses however to register this party in traditional separation left-right-hand side of political space. Until the beginning of the year 1990, he manages to maintain the Greens in a strategy which officially is placed at equal distance of the right-hand side and the left. When that it will be put in minority, majority of the Vert party maintaining the idea that the Ecology policy is a new political thought different from the right-hand side and left but which accepts alliances only with the left of which she is considered heiress of the engagements for the social equality and freedoms, he leaves the Greens and creates a new movement, the Movement independent ecologist.
Antoine Waechter, author of works naturalists and defender in particular of the Massive of the Vosges, oppose the Anthropocentrisme modern society. It rejects in particular the term “Environnement”, which would suppose that the Nature should not be preserved that to be used as framework of life at the man. He wants to preserve Nature, “all that is born, lives and dies out of the control of the Man”, of the attacks of the industrial society. The man, according to him, does not have the moral right subject Nature to his only interests.
He affirms the impossibility of a “indefinite growth in a limited world” and described the risks posed by the demographic explosion, increased mobility and the not controlled technical evolutions.
Political mandates
- Appointed European (1989-1991)
- Regional adviser of Alsace of 1986 to 1989 and 1992 to 1998
- Vice-president of the District council of Alsace of 1989 to 1991 and 1992 to 1998
- City council man Mulhouse of 1989 to 1994
- City council man Fulleren since March 2001
See too
External bond
- Official site of the MEI
- Antoine Waechter answers the guy of Royal in a political video of 12mns.