The fight against the austerity measures adopted by the European governments is building a growing resistance all around Europe that is gaining strength and social support. These austerity measures consist in cuts of wages, of public services, increase in the taxes supported by the lower classes of the society, dismantling services such as education or the health system.

Among those who belong to the social and political alternative fighting to this situation, where we, European Left, also are, is the movement “Take the Squares” most known as “indignados”. This movement has built a space of deep criticism against the actual political, economic and social model prevailing in Europe.

Not only criticizing the system of representative democracy but promoting also all kind of public protests, being able to do it openly in the public spaces, directing the pressures against those institutions and political forces who take the cutting decisions at all levels, labour, social or political; this movement is also directing the public protest against the unjust economic decisions adopted by enterprises or banks and also against the decision of the justice in what refers the right to have a home, such as the evictions.

On the 19th of June huge demonstrations took place in Europe against the Euro Pact, against the so called Economical Governance, and fresh steps towards an authoritarian EU undermining the people's sovereignty showing the European dimension of the fight against the power of the markets. This week-end marches of indignants leaded by the Spanish protesters are arriving to Brussels to protest against austerity and undemocratic measures of the EU.

In the manifesto the European Left (EL) has adopted in Trevi in July, we said there was an urgent need for a European alternative as indicated by the big protests of the “Take the squares” movement in Spain, Greece and all around Europe. As Party of the European Left we declare our full support in front of the big mobilizations that are going to take place on the 15th of October in different squares of Europe, and we also ask the different parties belonging to the EL to do the same when these mobilisations take place in their countries and we call all citizens to join this European day of protests.

For the EL it is of the utmost importance that the whole society takes part in such mobilizations, that is why we will participate and ask all those affected by the crisis to join the protests in order to show the strength of the Europe of citizens in front of the Europe of the markets.

We think that our duty at this moment is to contribute to the strengthening of the protest movement all around Europe, in order to contribute by this to building the needed alternative that the crisis of the capitalist system urges.

From this point of view we call all parties belonging to the EL in the concerned
countries to support the 15th of October mobilisations, always with full respect to the autonomy of the “indignados” movement.

They are also fighting against the same unjust measures taken by the governments and European institutions, against the austerity measures and different measures of privatization of the public services, and they also fight in favour of alternative economic and social measures able to satisfy the needs of the people and to exert the public control of the banking system and the financial system. That is to say in favour of another democratic and social Europe, acting with solidarity and in protection of the environment.

Party of the European Left
Paris, 8 October 2011

To download the statement in .pdf-format please click on the following link .