Gathered in Barcelona, the Executive Board of the European Left stressed the urgency of working out – together with other structures of civil society, in particular trade unions, feminist, ecological and social initiatives and networks – a strategy containing social, ecological and political measures for a persuasive alternative to the current proclaimed EU 2020 strategy by the EU Council and the governments of the EU 27 Member States still continuing the failed neo-liberal policy. Within the European Year against poverty the governments are not fighting against poverty but against the poorest and poor people.
The European Left ExBoard took the challenge – on the eve of the G 20 summit – to discuss various aspects of outlining a way to overcome the current deep financial and economic crisis with its disastrous impact on the life of billions people worldwide and to change in concrete the EU’s financial and economic policy. Immediate introduction of a financial transaction tax, resistance to further demolition of social rights on the excuse of exit the crisis, continuation of joint struggles together with all mobilized social actors for stable employment, decent salaries and pensions and guaranteed public services had been points of this topic within the the two-days Board meeting’s agenda in the Catalonian capital Barcelona.
The EL ExB recalls that there is no crisis exit strategy without reinforcing economy and employment, without more justice in the redistribution of wealth, without democratizing power and property, as a condition for mobilizing public funds. The EL supports a common mobilization against the attacks of the governments and actors from the financial markets, the big private banks against the European social model and fully supports the European Day of Action proposed by the European Confederation of trade unions for the 29th September, the same day the next ECOFIN meeting is scheduled.
The Executive Board decided on new applications for member resp. observer ship status of further Left parties from Europe in this European Political Party – uniting by now with the new Members Parti de Gauche (France), Red Green Alliance (Denmark)35 parties. Further already requested applications are to be decided in the next EL Board meetings.
The Board meeting dealt with the ongoing work of preparing the 3rd EL Congress, convened for 3-5 December in Paris, with the 5th EL Summer University in Chisinau (Moldova), the preparations of the EL Council of Chairpersons meeting on July12 in Brussels – dealing with the exchange of views on the G 20 summit and necessary responses from EL parties.
Reports from Hungary, Belgium and Czech Republic and the current political development in other European countries – in particular in Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain had been on the agenda as well. A first intense debate about chances and tasks for increasing democratic control of further European developments – e.g. the dealing with the European Citizens Initiative – was started.
The EL Chairman Lothar Bisky went on Sunday morning – together with Renato Soeiro from Left Bloco (Portugal) and Anastasia Theodorakopoulou from Synaspismos (Greece) – to the final public meeting of the Spanish I.U. refounding Congress in Madrid.
Moción acerca de la movilización sindical europea del 29 de setiembre
The European Left on current developments in Moldova
