The European Left and Left Unity – what’s it all about?

The European Left and Left Unity – what’s it all about?

Len Arthur – LU Wales

Left Unity is an international political party. We are socialists as our aim is to end capitalism, and we recognise that we have to fight for this transformation at an international and national level; both are terrains of struggle and are interlinked. It is not possible to prioritize one over the other.

Our first step in taking this aim forward has been to join the Party of the European Left (EL) as an observer member. From the current year we have been sending two delegates to EL meetings and delegates will be attending the fifth congress in Berlin in December.

This article provides a brief overview of the EL, its politics, how it works and what it is like being a participant.

Background

The EL was formed in 2004 over two separate conferences first in Berlin then in Rome. Talks about establishing a radical left and green alliance had started in 1998 between communist, socialist and green parties from across Europe, in part influenced by changes in Russia and East Europe, the communist parties and the coming together of the European Social Forum.

http://www.european-left.org/about-el

The link to the founding document with the full aims follows but here is a key part which reflects closely those of Left Unity.

“Therefore we refer to the values and traditions of the socialist, communist and labour movement, of feminism, the feminist movement and gender equality, of the environmental movement and sustainable development, of peace and international solidarity, of human rights, humanism and antifascism, of progressive and liberal thinking, both nationally and internationally. We work together in the tradition of the struggles against capitalist exploitation, ecological destruction, political oppression and criminal wars, against fascism and dictatorship, in resistance to patriarchal domination and discrimination against "others".”

http://www.european-left.org/propos-de-la-ge/documents

In the European Parliament the European Left Unity/Nordic Green Alliance (GUE/NGL) existed in various forms before the foundation of the EL, evolving from a Communist and Allies group and first using the GUE bit of the name from 1989. http://www.guengl.eu/group/history and from 1995 the NGA became part of the group.

Following the 2014 European Elections 52 MEPs are now part of this group, including 27 from parties of the European Left. The group includes Podemos and Sinn Fein and here is a full list:  http://www.guengl.eu/group/delegations 

The EL currently

Membership of the EL is currently made up of 32 parties covering 23 different European countries with another 15 parties under consideration for membership. Left Unity is one of these 32 member parties and the only one from the UK. We are ‘observer’ members which although we are defined as ‘consultants’ means that we have full participation rights, except at the level of the Council of Chairpersons.

Not all parties who a members of the EL are from countries that are part of the EU such as Turkey, Moldova and Belorussia. Here is a list of the parties but it is a little out of date:  http://www.european-left.org/about-el/member-parties.

Collective individual membership of the EL is around 500,000. There are considerable variations across countries so in the UK as Left Unity we have around 1250 members whereas the two EL affiliated parties in Spain have around 107,000. Individual membership figures are important as they indicate the number of activists across Europe that can be mobilised in campaigns, solidarity and struggles at the national and international level.

Political influence can in part be gauged through votes. In the national election taking place in 2014 - 15 EL parties had around 11m not including those for other parties in the GUE/NGL group of MEPs. In terms of direct action, in France, the CGT trade union which is closely allied to EL member the French Communist Party, is taking a leading role in the direct action against the proposed anti labour legislation and other austerity measures.

Theoretical developmen is coordinated through Transform which is funded by the various political research foundations of EL parties, such a the Rosa Luxemburg foundation in Germany. http://www.transform-network.net/home.html. Kate Hudson and Felicity Dowling of Left Unity have both had articles in recent Transform publications.

EL’s latest political statement from 2013

“For us, there is no question of waiting for the European Union to crumble, and for the monsters that could emerge from the rubble, nor of promoting nationalist solutions setting the peoples against one another. The European Left, which we represent, is internationalist and stands together in solidarity. We strive towards a socialist alternative, a civilisation freed from capitalism, exploitation, oppression and capitalist violence. Ours is a vision that guarantees not only a distribution of wealth that supports work and an advanced social and economic development model, but also democracy, equality, democratic and social rights for all European citizens.

It is to this end that we fight for a re-foundation of Europe, in other words, for a new definition of its objectives, policies and structures; an economic, productive, social and ecological model that is totally different, and that is based on solidarity, social justice and popular sovereignty.”

http://www.european-left.org/positions/congress-motions/documents-4th-el-congress/final-political-document-4th-el-congress

It is worthwhile reading through the statement as there is much to give heart to someone who supports the argument that another Europe is possible, especially when the organizational size and scope of the EL and the GUE/NGL is taken into account.

Within the European Parliament the GUE/NGL has taken positions and made proposals which go some way toward putting this political statement into action:

Action in EParliament: http://www.guengl.eu/policy/resolutions

Policy priorities: http://www.guengl.eu/policy/priorities

TTIP for example: http://www.guengl.eu/uploads/publications-documents/TTIP_web.pdf

A solidarity statement with the strikes in France and Germany: http://www.guengl.eu/news/article/category//solidarity-with-people-in-belgium-and-france-resisting-neoliberal-cuts.

Next steps

A new political statement is currently under development heading toward the Berlin conference in December 2016.

As Left Unity we have been fully involved in the process of developing this statement and the action and campaigning priorities that will follow from it. I was one of the elected LU delegates to a recent meeting of the EL executive board in Porto toward the end of April. Here is the report of that meeting that I produced for LU. It provides what I would like to think is an insight into current policy and campaigning concerns of the EL as well as a ‘feel’ for how it all really works: http://chwithunedigcymru.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/report-of-party-of-european-left.html.

Developing this political statement is not straightforward and the acceptance of the austerity programme by the Greek Syriza government was a defeat, having very serious consequences for the Greek people and on how, as socialists, we see a social transformation from capitalism taking place. The EL is prepared to have that debate but it is yet to take place.

Conclusion

We argue as Left Unity that ‘another Europe is possible’ and for a remain vote in the referendum. We argue that case whilst being very critical of the EU.  We don’t believe in pipe dreams or grand rhetoric but in working with socialists across Europe, taking real steps toward this aim. It is hoped that this article can help provide some confidence that this can and will happen.

Left Unity, being a member of the EL, is central to our argument.