Dear Alexis,
Dear Comrades of Synaspismos,

On behalf of the Party of the European Left, we want to express our heartfelt participation and our deep grief for the murder of Alexandros Grigoropoulos. The situation in Greece is cause for great concern to us. We have witnessed in other countries too that when the right and dominant forces do not have concrete political responses to the social demands for freedom coming from workers and younger generations, they use violence and repression by the police. The manifestation of workers and young people in particular in the universities and squares in Greece for their right to education and a future worth to be planned is similar to what can be seen all over Europe. The serious economic crisis is causing more unemployment and worsening the precarious conditions of life.
The Party of the European Left confirms its commitment to the right to work and to decent salaries, with particular regard to the younger generations, and to the fundamental rights of all citizens - women and men. Thus, we pay great attention to the safeguard of democracy and freedom in our countries. We understand that tomorrow will be an important day for you, as for the general strike. In Italy the strike will take place on the 12th, and on the 16th we will all join the demonstration in Strasbourg organised by ETUC against the working time directive. We believe that not only the workers’ material conditions but also their right to organise in trade unions is up to discussion. These are important questions that concern the future of the Left and the European democracies.
We are on your side, and we continue to fight together to build an alternative future for Europe.

In solidarity,
Lothar Bisky, EL Chair                  Graziella Mascia, EL Vice-Chair