Alexander Langer, co-president of the Green Group, committed suicide at July 3rd 1995 at the age of 49. He left his wife behind.
The following text is copied from "GreenFax" by Diana Johnstone, press-officer of the Green Group in the European Parliament.
The 3-7 April 1995 Plenary Session of the Green Group in the European Parliament was an occasion to call attention to the paradoxical situation of Green Group Co-President Alexander Langer, whose refusal to wear an ethnic label risks disqualifying his candidacy in the election for Mayor of his multilingual home town, Bolzano/Bozen (South Tyrol, Italy). Since in the 1991 census Langer refused to declare himself as belonging to one of the three regional linguistic groups (Italian, German or Ladino), he is unable to produce the certificate of linguistic identity required of candidates by a November 1994 law. Fellow Group Co-President Claudia Roth (Germany) explained that Langer had objected to the census because "he feels a part of a multi-ethnic society, because he wants to build bridges not walls." Blocking his candidacy on such grounds is contrary to the Human Rights Convention. It would be absurd for Alexander Langer, who champions the cause of co-existence of cultures in the former Yugoslavia, to find himself a victim of ethnic discrimination at home. She called on colleagues to bring pressure to change the rules in time for the elections. The Regional Council of Alto Adige (South Tyrol) and Trentino must waive this requirement when it meets in two weeks time, in order to allow Mr. Langer to register his candidacy in time for the two round May 28-June 11 election. Alexander Langer's candidacy is more than symbolic: polls have shown him leading a field of four candidates with 37% of the vote. Outside attention might help the Regional Councillors to grasp the absurdity of the situation.
Return to the events of 1995.