By Helmut Scholz and Pedro Marset, EL Executive Board

The Party of the European Left , constituted by 15 parties and 8 observers parties , from the European Union, as well as from countries of Eastern and Western Europe, was founded last year, in May 2004, in Rome, choosing as its President Fausto Bertinotti, who asks us to present its greetings and this letter of congratulation to this Forum. The most important reason for the creation of the European Left Party was the conviction that in a process of European construction in which the class struggle is lead, as much in the sector of every State as more particularly in the European, it was necessary to have a political instrument, a political party, of European extension, compatible  with the national political parties, which coordinates and directs this fight, seen that we suffer in all Europe the problems arising from neoliberalism and the decisions adopted as much in the European Commission as the European council, but also in the European Parliament; privileged place of the democratic fight, where should not be missing  the coordinated and unitary representation of the labour class and the interests of the majority of the European population. The EL is a political subject aimed at developing an increasing and positive role in the social and political European struggle in association with the progressive forces of the rest of the world.
We can say proudly that, partially, the fruit of this understanding and coordination of the Party of the European Left  was the recent NO of the French majority to the Constitutional treaty. It for two reasons: the first for having shown with clarity the increasing dangers which supposes for the workers, for the peace and for the democracy the adoption of this Constitutional treaty, typical product of the neoliberal offensive , but secondly and particularly, to have been capable, as European Left Party, to elaborate an alternative of progress for Europe, so that our NO, that was defended by our companions of the FRENCH COMMUNIST PARTY, did not consist of a NO simply negative, either even that of a nationalist or populist xenophobe position, As they wanted the present it, but indeed in the demonstration that ANOTHER EUROPE IS POSSIBLE, a Europe of solidarity, respect to the environment, equality and non-discrimination, for the defence of the workers' rights, for peace and human rights. For that reason we demand the retreat of all the foreign forces of occupation in the various countries, and a world without weapons nor nuclear threats.
Rightly this NO of France and Holland opens a perspective of big superiority for the forces of the progress in all Europe because in the practice we are the only European party which proposes an alternate model based on the principles of a radical criticism of capitalism and neoliberalism, with a deepening of the democracy and the human rights as the way of arriving at the democratic socialism, in a project of new world, political and economic order based on  international legality and on respect of the environment, of nature, in the elimination of inequalities and imbalance and in the elimination of the external debt, in freedom and with the equality of woman, in fair trade, in the defence indigenous, farmers, and workers' rights, public services, democratic planning,  participative democracy.
We renew our solidarity and our brotherly support for the Forum of Sao Paulo and to all the political parties belonging to it, our support in the progresses of Cuba, our sincere solidarity with the victories of Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, peoples of Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico, Chile, Haiti, all the countries, as well as our support for the efforts of integration of Latin America, necessary step to advance in your continent and all over the world.
Finally, we take this opportunity to invite you at the 1st Congress of the European Left Party, which will be celebrated this year, on 7 and 8 October in Athens, where we will be able to deepen the friendship and collaboration of both forces.