ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book highlights the commonalities in terms of ideology or policy positions among Green parties. It mobilised a large number of criteria and dimensions on which to assess the existence of a distinct party family. Ultimately, the developments in this book point at common origins, as well as strong similarities in the sociological composition of Green parties. These are two crucial elements that directly refer to Lipset and Rokkan's classic conception of party family. The book demonstrates the context does affect the fate of Greens parties, especially in their capacity to overcome the threshold of representation and governmental participation. It reviews the origins and the development of Green parties, including their life-cycle patterns, electoral developments and relationship to power. The book explains the sociological composition of their electorates. It discusses their ideological and programmatic positions and explains their organisational structures.
