The Council of Chairpersons of the European Left Party An extraordinary political event has occurred in Europe. The rejection of the European constitutional treaty by France and the Netherlands, two EU founding member countries, starts a new phase in Europe and a fundamental debate on EU policies and goals. This new phase gives the European peoples the opportunity to intervene in this debate to demand a Europe freed from neoliberal institutions and policies. <//span>
A left-wing and popular pro-European attitude has taken shape and has won. The neoliberal Europe as inspired by the logic of the constitutional treaty has been defeated by the democracy of the French people. An extraordinary turnout, higher than at any other previous election in France during the past 15 years and even higher than at the Maastricht referendum, has shown that there is a deep passion for Europe when it can express itself in democracy and an alternative for Europe exists, as in the case of the French "non" campaign.

We, the Party of the European Left, the only European party among the democratic and progressive forces belonging to the no camp, share the joy of the French Communist Party and the leftist forces, which have given rise to a new and extraordinary rassemblement, during the campaign against the constitutional treaty. The irruption of social issues into the referendum campaign has been decisive. The popular vote has indicated that such issues are more and more urgent in Europe. This is the result of the failure of more than ten years of neoliberal policies, increasingly cutting the welfare state, spreading precariousness and insecurity, privatising common goods and public services. The no vote has not only rejected the treaty text, but it has also rejected the neoliberal logic inspiring it. The European Left, together with the social and peace movements, should be able to express the peoples' demand of an alternative for Europe. All leftist forces in Europe should learn an important lesson: victory is possible, if the left-wing believes in democracy and invest in people's participation, and assumes the mass criticism of the neoliberal social model, now rejected by a majority of the people. A left-wing pro-European mass attitude has born, and this challenges the living conditions in Europe. The French people - in the name of another Europe - have rejected the attempt to constitutionalise neoliberalism.

The European peoples have the opportunity to oppose neoliberalism and the lack of democracy to achieve a peaceful, democratic and equal Europe of solidarity. What Europe needs is new economic and social policies, as the recent elections in Germany have suggested.

The question of democracy in Europe needs an urgent answer. With no such answer the crisis of politics is due to deepen. Citizens should no longer be excluded from decisional processes.

The EU constitutional treaty had been drafted in order to replace all previous EU treaties and become the EU fundamental charter. The present treaty has already been rejected and is politically dead. The European Council has to take the referendum outcome and the new phase into account. The EU foundations and goals must be redefined, as well as the EU economic, social, environmental, institutional and foreign policies. This debate should not be left to the EU technocracy and EU member states' governments which have been punished by the European citizens. We demand that national parliaments and the European parliament are immediately included in this new process. This debate should be open - above all - to the European peoples, who should be the main actors of the new EU construction.

The European Left intends to keep on supporting the mobilisation of the European peoples. Furthermore the EL thinks it is important to develop a dialogue with critical yes campaigners to start working together for a new peaceful Europe which has got rid of neoliberal policies.

For these reasons the EL proposes to all leftist and progressive forces to support the following immediate goals:

• withdrawal of the Bolkestein directive and the directive on working time and of any neoliberal directive;
• removal of any provision concerning liberalisation of public services;
• a new equal tax policy charging revenues and in favour of labour;
• redefinition of the ECB status and the stability pact;
• new international policies based on peace and solidarity.

The first EL congress will take place next October in Athens. On that occasion we want to keep on struggling in favour of a more equal and peaceful Europe and world. Today this is - more than ever - possible.