Last Month Polanski Announced Eco-populism and his Leadership bid. Can he Reclaim Patriotism Under the Greens?
Most people reading this won’t know Zack Polanski or eco-populism. When the neologism was deployed by a lesser-known London Assembly member and Green Party deputy leader, it made headlines. Last month, Polanski used it to launch his Green Party leadership bid. On Monday, June 2, nominations opened, kicking off the race. But why eco-populism, why now, and what does this mean for Gen Z?
Who is Zack Polanski and what is eco-populism?
Born in Salford, Greater Manchester to a Jewish family, Polanski was an active member of the Liberal Democrats before joining the Green Party in 2017. Elected to the London Assembly in May 2021, he has worked as a youth worker, actor, and mental-health counsellor. He champions the introduction of a basic income and support for London’s creative and cultural sectors.
On May 5, Polanski, 42, announced his ‘eco-populist’ leadership bid. The term is so rare that the top Google result links directly to his campaign. He has successfully made the phrase his own.
‘Populism’ refers to the belief that elites should not represent the common people. Populist rhetoric often claims that ‘the system’ is broken and serves the few, not the many. Traditionally, it has been a rallying cry of the political right.
In recent years, politicians across Europe—Germany’s AfD, France’s RN, and Britain’s UKIP—have played into the people-vs-elites narrative. UKIP, though technically succeeded by the Brexit Party, lives on through Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Leadership bid
In his launch video, Polanski repurposed this narrative. The opening lines are age-old Green Party tenets: ‘The Labour government is failing and the planet is burning.’ Unlike Farage’s Reform, he blames inequality—not immigration—for society’s ills. He described the Greens as ‘A party that knows [that] inequality is at the heart of all our problems; town, village, country, city, wherever you live, inequality hurts us all.’
The erosion of ‘community’—a classic populist theme—sits at the heart of his message. He blames the ‘Outrageous complacency of successive governments’ for deepening social divisions, which Reform has then exploited to stoke resentment against refugees and minorities.
How do two seemingly discrete movements, populism and environmentalism, come together? For Polanski, addressing climate issues comes from mobilizing local communities through collective action. He plans to do this through a ‘National popular grassroots movement,’ a mass membership drive, while simultaneously reclaiming patriotism: ‘We should love our country. Loving your community is loving your country.’ This is Polanski’s eco-populism.
This reminder that humans and the environment are essentially linked is reminiscent of Greta Thunberg, who said ‘Human rights and the climate crisis go hand in hand. We can’t solve one without solving the other.’
Reception
Polanski’s bid sparked mixed reactions — hope, skepticism, and surprise. He is based in the trendy East London enclave of Clapton, East London. Polanski is seen as a maverick for running despite not being an MP. His supporters see his bid as a possible reset.
His bid challenges two Green MPs: (current co-leader) Adrian Ramsey, who is running with Ellie Chowns. (Carla Denyer, Ramsey’s current co-leader, is stepping down to focus on her MP duties—fueling speculation that this prompted Polanski’s move, though he declined to comment.)
‘I’ll be voting for Zack,’ said a sixty-something Green member and former parliamentary candidate, ‘The other two [Ramsey and Chowns] are a bit trad, a bit fusty.’
A Green against net zero
In a New Statesman interview, Polanski outlined his plans. Like Farage, he criticized Labour’s net-zero plans and their unrealistic financial expectations placed on the working classes:
‘I’m really angry about net zero… the government are expecting some of the poorest in this country to step up to net zero, expecting people to install heat pumps or expecting people to get a train rather than a plane, even though a plane is a much cheaper option.’
Instead, Polanski propounds a wealth tax: ‘There is a lot of wealth in this country… but we are taxing people who are working really hard far more than we’re taxing wealth … that’s totally the wrong way round.’ This levy would target UK businesses and the wealthy to shoulder the support of a green transition.
Critics across the spectrum noted how closely his message mirrored Farage’s. Polanski responded:
‘While I may even agree with Nigel Farage’s diagnosis of the problems, it’s very clear that he doesn’t really intend to do anything about those things.’
I met Zack on a windswept Kent beach in March. Polite and upbeat in a signature Green look—oversized (and presumably) thrifted shirt, jacket, and scarf combination—Polanski was touring the South East before local elections. While he hadn’t declared anything yet, many in the party suspected he was quietly building support for a leadership run.
He acknowledged voters’ frustration over their perceived lack of representation: ‘We’re seeing a time where multi-millionaires and billionaires are receiving more money than they ever have before, while some of our poorest communities are struggling … we’re defending their rights.’
Why Gen Z?
In today’s post-manosphere digital culture, reports suggest the far-right and Reform are gaining traction among Gen Z men. Populist rhetoric feeds on disillusionment — a feeling Polanski wants to address. He notes that rural communities, in particular, feel abandoned by mainstream politics.
A February YouGov poll found that one in five Britons would consider voting Green, but half feared it would be a wasted vote. Still, Greens lead among Gen Z: 36% of 18–24 year-olds and 27% of 25–49 year-olds would consider voting for the party.
With 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record, climate issues will only grow more urgent. Forecasts warn of a 50% loss of gdp between 2070 and 2090 and up to 4 billion deaths by 2050 if global warming continues unchecked. Gen Z and Gen Alpha will bear the brunt.
Why Eco-populism Now?
The May 1 Local Elections weren’t a disaster for the Greens—but they fell short of expectations. They increased their councillors to 859 across 181 councils, compared to Conservative and Labour, who lost hundreds of seats each. Yet Reform ballooned, gaining 677 seats: the Greens’ jubilation was short-lived. As of June 2, YouGov estimates 9% intend voting Green vs. 28% for Reform.
For international readers: these elections don’t decide a new government or Prime Minister, they select local councillors. However, similar to U.S. midterms, they can be an indicator of General Election voting intention, a window into national mood.
Despite their strongest local elections to date and quadrupling their MPs in the 2024 General Elections, many Greens feel progress is too slow. With Reform now the largest party by voting intention, Greens need to up the ante, and fast. Perhaps Polanski’s eco-populism can help reset the dial.
