My first words will be to thank all those who made this meeting possible and especially the workers of the European Left Party, the person beside me in the Presidency of the EL, Maite Mola, who organises all the work of the secretariat and the office, and Anne Sabourin, who has worked a lot, as well as my comrades of Transform, Elisabeth Gauthier, Walter Baier and their team, who participated actively in the preparation of this initiative.
We decided to hold this meeting a few weeks ago, during the EL executive board meeting in Berlin on January 15. Its success shows the hunger and the space available for such meetings. 

I would like to congratulate everyone for the great wealth of your contributions. Many of the contributions were convergent, some less so, which makes these meetings interesting. There is diversity of approach and we need to confront our views of constructive work.
It is one of the difficulties with this kind of meeting, and I want to apologize for some of the frustrations that will probably be expressed. Sometimes we would like to discuss in a more interactive, livelier way, to build better. But we must let all express themselves to build over time.
We had one aim in deciding this initiative. This is expressed in the title - very ambitious it must be said - we gave to ourmeeting. This term "alternative European summit" is the expression of an ambition. We felt, since the severity of the crisis is recognized by all of us, that it was our political responsibility to try to open a path. If we, the European Left and the Left forces in Europe, do not do it, who will? Nobody. Nobody in the political field, anyway.
It is our responsibility to try things that sometimes seem difficult, inaccessible, even impossible, but which are nevertheless very necessary. And because, they are necessary, they are possible, if we make the effort. This initiative is a success. There were over 200 participants representing a wide diversity of alternative forces that we wanted to invite today.
I would like to underline three observations that weremade during these two days, to emphasize the inevitability of the work we started today.
The first, as I said before, is the seriousness of the moment. Gus Massiah said yesterday, "We are not only in a crisis situation, but in a breakdown situation". And I think that most contributions have confirmed this assessment. We are indeed at a turning point. We see that what is at stake is the destruction of all European socialmodels and democracy. One Greek speaker said: "We are not far from the end of democracy" in reference to what was happening in his country. We feel this everywhere. 


The second observation is that there will be no returnto the previous situation. We are not in a short-term crisis, which, once passed, will bring us back roughly to the previous situation, with some damage along the way. The Europe that will emerge from this crisis willnot be the Europe that entered it. Either the forces of reaction will prevail permanently and Europe will have lost several decades of its social and democratic gains, or we will be able, in the current class confrontation, togive strength to the democratic, political, progressive energies that exist andare numerous in Europe, to invent and open up a new mode of operation and development for the EU to reopen a period of democratic and social achievement. I think this is possible and this is what drives each of us, in our struggles. 

The third observation I would like to make is that the success of our meeting and that of the Joint Social Conference shows that there are many forces that are trying and who wish that the joint work we have attempted to outline today, be led. Everyone trips over their limitations. The political organizations of the Left know their strengths, andlimitations. Social forces and citizens who act in Europe feel their strengths and limitations. If we not unite our energies together, we will not exceed our limitations.
So, how are we to proceed, and on what basis? Many topics were discussed. Three sets of questions have been recurrent in our debates. It should form the main lines of work and action.

The first is the rejection we share, of the austerity policies, the austerity pact, fiscal compact, new governance pact, and the European Stability Mechanism treaty... We do not use the same words everywhere. Maybe we should speak in the same way to clarify that we are facing the same thing. But I think that the will to stop these dramatic austerity policies, which are socially unsustainable and which are dead ends for the economic development of the European peoples, is very clear.
Note that this determination to reject all these austerity mechanisms is shared not only within the EL, but also by most unions,the European Trade Union Confederation, and almost all European networks. This has not always been the case when other treaties, already very problematical,were proposed. This unanimous rejection of current European policies is a fact that deserves to be emphasised, and gives us entirely new opportunities for joint action, provided we become aware of it and if we work on these convergences.
The second recurrent topic repeated in our discussions is the absolute necessity to detoxify all the European models of financial logic, in companies, in budget choices, in the banking systemand at the European Central Bank. This has been repeatedly emphasized — the role played by the ECB to impose profitability strategies and policies of enslavement to financial logic, is central to the European system. We have a nuphill battle to wage. We should note that in the last period, actions in Europe that target large private banks and the ECB have multiplied. They deserves to grow and take shape in time, to regain power for citizens over the choices regarding the banking and financial system, over the use of money in Europe.
The third set of questions is about democracy. Everyone has pointed out that we are in a period of serious decline, confiscation and bypassing of democratic institutions. European countries areled today by 'technical' governments, not elected ones. Greece will soon bevoting but probably the Monti government in Italy will stay there for a periodof at least another year. This will still be a year and a half of a non-elected government, in the heart of one of the great democratic countries of Europe. This is something totally new and extremely worrying. Moreover, bypassing democratic mechanisms are much more widespread and more extensive than that. Someone mentioned the "post-democratic era" in Europe. Indeed,the recovery and reconstruction - not just the defence - of democracy are on the immediate agenda. 


How can we get ahead towards these goals? I think we could identify three main areas of work and action.
The first is to amplify the social and political struggles to defeat the austerity plans. Of course, we all do it in our various activities, and this is also why we are here today. We are all actors in the struggles and resistances that exist inour countries. But it is urgent, if we want to give these struggles a chance of winning, to continue working to politicize them, to make them converge, andraise the level of criticism on the political responsibilities and the responsibilities of the capitalist system. While active in these movements, promoting and encouraging actions, I think we must work to systematize the European convergences.
What strikes me - even though I try to keep myself informed - is that I discovered the existence of many initiatives today for the first time. I learn for example the existence of the "Roma Manifesto” about research, referred to by the comrade from the FSU. A Comrade of the FGTB said today that a meeting of different European Petroplus sites will take place soon at the European arliament — yet I personally made several on site visits to the Petroplus refinery without knowing this. So there are already many attempts to organise convergences at European level. I myself took part in a demonstration of steelworkers of France, where their European comrades were present. We need to systematize these initiatives and give them strength and political visibility.
To give strength to all those struggles, I think we should each also work better to connect all levels of the political struggl ein our own country and at the European Parliament, particularly with the groupof the GUE-NGL, but also with other forces that are sometimes available in the European Parliament. I would like to support what was presented my friend and comrade Jean-Pierre Brard, i.e. the work undertaken by members of the Front de gauche and Die Linke, at the National Assembly and Bundestag, for common proposals, opposite the Sarkozy and Merkel leadership of the EU.
The EL could, in connection with the existing network of elected representatives, organise a meeting of national parliamentarians of our countries. They have to cope with similar attacks and they fight with a remarkable courage in their respective parliaments, but do not coordinate their work and their political expressions today, whereas, obviously, those who impose the agenda of parliaments are themselves working hand in hand at all times. With the European Parliament, with MPs and local elected people, we could work towards this political rapprochement, which could also give more power to struggles.
We could also make sure that the political support that we provide each other - we do it with the EL - is permanent and mutual. I will participate in a few days to the campaign in Athens, with Gregor Gysi, Chairman of the Left Party group at the Bundestag, and Francisco Louçà, Chairman of the left group at the Portuguese parliament. These initiatives are important to show people that resist in their country,that their fight is also taking place in other countries, even though the current leaders are trying to divide us.
In all these struggles we must continue to identify the most important issues, to highlight them, expand them. Many topics were cited: debt, public health, the rights of migrants, the labour market, ecology, feminism, research...
Let me emphasize an initiative that I have taken to heart, that is important for the EL because we are now entering the concrete process and we will see if we can use the European Citizens' Initiative to lead the fight on the role of the ECB. It would be a major political event that would put, at the heart of the debate across Europe, an issue that now seems unattainable and yet is crucial if we want to turn the tide.
Second line of work: recovering democracy. I think there's a battle to wage in some European countries to prevent the ratification of the European Stability Mechanism and the fiscal treaty, and ask for referendums. There's going to get one in Ireland, whose outcome isnot guaranteed to favour the promoters of these treaties, which is the least wecan say! If one or more countries did not ratify these treaties, the mechanisms would seize up. These are European struggles that affect us all.
We should also amplify the battles in the institutions in our national parliaments, as I already mentioned, and atthe European Parliament. I am very happy that Gabi Zimmer, who has recently been elected President of the GUE-NGL, has participated in our work. This is a sign that we can deepen our cooperation.
There is enormous amount of work to be done, to promote new forms of democracy. Many movements that are developing in Europe, as very well expressed by the “indignados” movement, are seeking new forms of commitment and investment in politics. We are interested in this. I believe itis our duty to develop dialogue and joint construction, in accordance with the choices made by some or other of the diverse modes of organization.
We also need to pay attention to the electoral battles in each country. The progress of Izquierda Unida in Spain, in November, and recently in parliament in Andalusia and Asturias, are very important signs to be valued. In Spain, at a moment of collapse of the socialist party, what the United Left has progressed is very encouragingly.
The forthcoming elections in Greece and France can bevery important political moments for all Europe. Let me say a word about France. It is quite possible that we beat Nicolas Sarkozy. It is a political event that will resonate throughout Europe and will open an opportunity for debate. I mean an opportunity, because a debate on what we do with this victory is taking place through out the forces of the French Left. The Socialist Party and its candidate François Hollande pronounced the word "renegotiation" of the Merkel-Sarkozy Treaty. But what is behind this word is more than poor content. The only definition he gives this renegotiation is to get - in addition to the treaty and not instead of it - a growth pact.This is useless if you do not touch the heart of the Treaty.
But with the Front de Gauche, we will put forward demands that go further. We ask not only the renegotiation of the treaty but,if necessary, a referendum to reject the “Merkozy” treaty. It would seem a shame that the French, freed from Sarkozy, are obliged to apply the treaty that he himself wrote! Everyone knows that, together with Angela Merkel, he is one of the drafters of the treaty in question. He is not only a promoter. This battle that we will carry out in France, will be fought for the whole of Europe. The progress of the Front de Gauche shows that we can go on to surprises, pleasant political surprises, in some countries.
A last line of work, I think it is useful to enter a process of joint working of all the forces that are resistingand want a different Europe, to work on the convergences and to build alternatives. We need, as was rightly said by Felipe Van Keirsbilck ,representative of the Joint Social Conference, a «wide common area », built by a process, that allows everyone to work together and build a political alternative, with a single obsession, as he says: "get a political turning point" of the course of European integration. As President of the EL, I mean and intend to support and get involved in this process.
This implies precisely, to abide by the process, because we know very well that all this cannot just be decreed. We must build. We must respect each other. We must know how to articulate struggles at national and European levels, and we know very well that this is not simple. The quality of the process we will be able to implement will be crucial to the success of our actions. To succeed, we must have an ambition. To move mountains, it is better to attack them with some ambition. Otherwise, at the first difficulty, we will stop.
Working together is an absolute necessity in this situation and I welcome the fact that things have changed and a new dialoguebetween social movements, union and political actors is now possible. As I said before, we stumble over the obstacles that we can over come by joining forces.This must be done while respecting the different roles and practices of those taking part, as Felipe said: "working without seeking hegemony over one another, but trying to conquer together the hegemony of ideas and solutions" in society.
It is essential to break the deadlock in the political situation. What is currently blocking the situation in Europe is a liberalconsensus that unites European right but also a very important part of the Social Democrats, and liberal ecologists. It is essential to break this liberal consensus so as to rebuild a political space that allows left political alternatives. So we need a new political process. In sum, as stated by Gus Massiah, we must "win back politics"! By having this ambition, this capacity for dialogue and mutual respect, and with the ideas we have - and we have plenty! - we should be able to get things done.
This meeting fore shadows others. Nothing is decided yet in the EL. Its Executive Board will meet in Madrid late in April to evaluate this encounter. We will pay attentive to the decisions taken by all other actors in Europe, to the struggles and electoral deadlines, to all European initiatives that will be held before summer. I want to conclude by inviting those who wish to attend the Summer University of the Party of European Leftthat we are organising this year in Volos, Greece, from July 18 to 22. You can learn more from our office in Brussels on the content of the university, on which we are working right now, again with our friends of Transform.
I thank you. These were two exciting days and we'll try together to make them profitable. Thank you to all!