Greece was the main topic in the debate of the Council of Chairperson (CoCh) of the Party of the European Left (EL) assembled on June 19 in Athens. The president, Pierre Laurent, defined it “the battle for the sovereignty of the Greek people”, a difficult fight because “the European institutions do not want another hypothesis different to the hegemonic one within the European Union” since their pretension is “to constitutionalize the Neoliberalism”.

An example is the lack or respect and the attack by the IMF and the Eurogroup to the sovereignty of the nations, as Laurent explained. In Greece, they want to impose pensions reduction when two-thirds of retirees are under the poverty level, but they do not say anything about the capital evasion against which Syriza tries to fight.

However, the exit from Europe "that someone see as the solution of the problem, it is a serious error because in the current conditions it would be a clash of nationalisms", added the president of the EL.

Pierre Laurent was convinced that "we can transform the situation in Europe". And this possibility is best shown by the fight going on in Greece. "Our responsibility is to make possible an acceptable agreement to continue this battle."

As the Vice President Maite Mola says, the EL is reinforcing its support because "the situation in Greece today is a matter of life or death". Saturday 20th has begun the European week of solidarity which will run until the 27th with many events and actions in the main European cities.

France inaugurated this week with demonstrations on Saturday the 20th and the commitment of Pierre Laurent to deliver to the French Republic president the request to back the position of the Greek people. On Sunday 21st Greece occupied streets with thousands of people, thing that will do again on Saturday 27th.

In addition, Pierre Laurent conducted an analysis of the situation in Europe on the "very rapid and contradictory evolution which can be accelerated in the coming months" regarding the hardening of the southern border against the immigrants, with an increase of the conflicts and with neo-liberal policies that can create scenarios of rupture of unknown consequences (...) a situation with enough risk (...) and for this we should remain alert because we don't know what is going to happen."

At the moment, he argued, forces of the alternative left as well as those of the extreme right are developing, and the latest has created a group in the European Parliament with the "great risk that it represents". Regarding the positive developments, as well as the victory of Syriza and the big support of the people to the government, the hope becomes stronger in the political left in Spain “with a beginning of demolition of the bipartisanship … although with contradictions”. Another example would be for sure the increasing movement against the TTIP and therefore protests not to let it pass.

There are good expectations for the forthcoming general elections in Spain in autumn, same season for the general elections in Portugal and French regional elections in December.

The work of the last few months was evaluated very positively, with the success of the European Forum for Alternatives, hold at the end of May in Paris, a great event which took place between the successful Forum of Southern Europe celebrated in Barcelona, last January, and the second edition that will be in Athens. The EL also applauded the success of the HDP in the recent elections of Turkey.

The other bullet point of debate was the beginning of the works for the next Congress which will take place in the autumn 2016.