Greens gain influence in European elections

In total the Greens now hold 38 seats, compared with 27 in the previous parliament.
In France, the Greens won nearly ten percent of the vote, strengthening the hand of Green Environment Minister, Dominique Voynet in the coalition government.

Not surprisingly in the light of the recent dioxin/PCB food scares, the Greens made most ground in Belgium where they won five of the 25 seats, compared with only two in the outgoing parliament.