On 14-16 May many activists from the European Left joined ETUC’s Action Days all over Europe to call on the EU governments to take appropriate measures against the growing crisis, which is mainly hitting the workers and weaker individuals in Europe. 350,000 people took part in the successful demonstrations, amongst them around 45,000 were on the streets of Brussels on Friday.

In the afternoon, the Belgian Communist Party Wallonie-Bruxelles and the European Left organised an international meeting in the centre of Brussels, where many proposals from the common electoral platform were highlighted, as well as the national perspectives and the main aspects that reflect the current political and economic crisis in each represented country.

Nichole Cahen (member of the EL Executive Board and the Communist Party Wallonie-Bruxelles) hosted the speakers Jaak Perquy (Communist Party of Flanders), Pierre Laurent (PCF, France), Gabi Zimmer (Die Linke, Germany), Henri Wehenkel (Dei Lenk, Luxembourg), Pablo Sanchez (United Left, Spain), Pierre Eyben (CP Wallonie-Bruxelles, Belgium) and Roberto Galtieri (PCI, running together with the Communist Refoundation Party, Italy). The Left Bloc from Portugal, sent a support message to the meeting, and the Humanist Party (Parti Humaniste, Belgium), which is running together with the Communist Party Wallonie-Bruxelles for the European and regional elections, was also present by the voice of Gilles Smedts.

In his speech Pierre Laurent reminded that the capitalist crisis has no borders and the Left must therefore overcome all barriers to unite for a common struggle. Speaking about the European elections, he recalled left concerns for a more democratic Europe and an efficient tax system in particular with regard to the financial sector.

Die Linke’s representative and MEP Gabi Zimmer defended a European minimum wage, equivalent to 60% of the average wage in each country, which is also a joint demand from the European Left. At present 21 member states out of 27 currently have a minimum wage, but in many of them this is clearly insufficient to assure decent living conditions.

From Luxembourg, Henri Wenkel denounced that far from being a country which "has only banks" the current crisis is severely hitting the industry and threatening several important companies with bankruptcy. Unemployment has reached 6% and many people only work part-time now. He added that after the financial earthquake, the institutions and the government keep acting as if nothing happened. Dei Lenk and the European Left call for a stop of privatisations, the abolishment of the banking secrecy, and they advocate the need to tax financial and speculative transactions, as well as to guarantee that the ECB policies and credit allowances address the real economy.

The local speaker Pierre Eyben emphasised the need to reinforce the left movement and pointed out that the social democrats have already shown their limitations when in government, as well as its contradictions.

In fact, more than ever, the left forces must unite and offer real alternative solutions to replace the failed policies and alliances that have been in power and have lead to this crisis.