European Left Party launched
Jim Jepps
The founding conference of the Party of the European Left has taken
place in Rome.
It's initial statement begins
"New hope is springing up
in Europe. A new vision is inspiring growing numbers of Europeans and
uniting them to join in great mobilisations to resist the imposition of
a capitalist one-way street that is an attempt to trap humanity in a new
social and cultural regression. The condition of peoples, social
subjects and individuals is marked by insecurity, uncertainty and
precariousness. A new resistance against capitalist exploitation is
strongly emerging. There is a new option for a change crisscrossing the
lives of men and women who are more and more affected by the disasters
produced by the capitalist globalisation policies.
"The new forms of power
on a worldwide scale bring about a crisis of nation states, of the
alliance systems and post-World War II world orders. The theory of
permanent war, as presently depicted in the Bush doctrine, the vortex of
terrorist violence that war is nourishing cause inequalities to grow and
spaces of democracy to be reduced. "
It sets out its vision of
what is wrong and what is needed by stating that
"The social democratic
concept of the Third way in Europe has failed, because it did not resist
this development and did not have any alternative, thus promoting it.
That creates possibilities and lays a bigger responsibility on the Left
that wants to change the present world. But we cannot trace the same
traditional path as in the 20th century which brought great
achievements but also great defeats and tragedies to the forces with a
revolutionary inspiration.
"To change society we
have to widen our action. In Europe the construction of an alternative,
radical, environmentalist and feminist left is a challenge for the new
cycle which is now opening. The plural nature of movements can be
crisscrossed by this new political force because we want to build a new
relationship between society and politics."
It states its views on
the EU clearly by stating
"Today ten countries are
joining the European Union and others have expressed the desire to join.
But there are significant political and social forces both within these
countries and in the countries that are already EU members, who view
enlargement with reservations or outright hostility. These tendencies
are reinforced by the impasses caused by the EU’s present strategic
choices.
"The ELP also responds to
the challenges for countries that are now outside the EU – such as the
Balkan states and other Eastern European countries – caused mainly by
their transformation and therefore to the arising dilemma of independent
development or joining the capitalist European integration as mid-term
strategy for dealing with all conflicts inside the societies connected
to these changes of past and present time. The EL is ready to stand
together with all democratic forces in these countries in favour of
democracy, peace and social justice, social and economic development and
to strengthen the democratic institutions."
The new left party must
recognise that
"With this international
approach we declare :
"The Left is willing
to take on responsibility in Europe and the world for the shaping of
our societies, to work out political alternatives, to promote them
among the public and to win the required majorities.
"Liberal
internationalisation and globalisation are no phenomena of nature
but the result of political developments and decisions. Therefore we
stand consequently against the neo-liberal policy of dealing with
these challenges, against war and militarization. Just now courage
and confidence must be given to the people that the world is not a
commodity, that a new world of peace, democracy, sustainability and
solidarity is possible."
The European Left
consists of the following parties:
Communist Party of Austria
Party of Democratic Socialism, Czech Republic
Estonian Social-Democratic Labour Party,
French Communist Party, France
Party of Democratic Socialism, Germany
Coalition of the Left of Movements and Ecology - Synaspismos, Greece
Workers-Party, Hungary
Communist Refoundation Party, Italy
Socialist Alliance Party, Romania
Communist Refoundation, San Marino
Communist Party of Slovakia
Communist Party of Spain
United Alternative Left of Catalonia, Spain
United Left, Spain
Swiss Party of Labour, Switzerland
This new realignment of
one current of the hard left in Europe is a significant development and
for any internationalist it will be clear that this re-groupment is a
genuine attempt to bring the left together on an international scale.
Whilst we have to recognise that there are many such currents and each
with its strengths and weaknesses this major grouping is one that we
should not ignor.
June 2004
