European United Left–Nordic Green Left
Encyclopedia
European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) is a left-wing
political group with seats in the European Parliament
since 1995.
The group is ambiguous between reformism and revolution, leaving it up to each party to decide on the manner they deem best suited to achieve these aims. As such, it has simultaneously positioned itself as "insiders" within the European institutions, enabling it to influence the decisions made by co-decision, and as "outsiders" by its willingness to seek "another Union" which would abolish the Maastricht Treaty
.
from national parties. Those national parties must share common political objectives with the group, as specified in the group's constituent declaration. Nevertheless, those national parties, not the group, retain control of their MEPs. Thus, the Group may be divided on certain issues.
Members of the group meet regularly to prepare for meetings, debate on policies and vote on resolutions. The group also publishes reports on various topics.
National parties may be full or associate members.
Notes
led to the creation of the Nordic Green Left
group of parties. The Nordic Green Left merged with the Confederal Group of the European United Left on 6 January 1995, forming the Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left. It consisted of MEPs from the Finnish Left Alliance
, Swedish Left Party
, the Danish Socialist People's Party
, United Left
of Spain (including the Spanish Communist Party), the Greek Synaspismos, the French Communist Party
, Portuguese Communist Party
, the Communist Party of Greece
, and the Communist Refoundation Party
of Italy.
In 1999, the German Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and the Greek Democratic Social Movement
(DIKKI) joined as full members, while the five MEPs elected from the list of the French Trotskyist alliance LO
-LCR
joined as associate members.
In 2002, four MEPs from the French Citizen and Republican Movement also joined the group.
In 2004, no MEPs were elected from LO-LCR and DIKKI was dissolved. MEPs from the Portuguese Left Bloc, the Irish Sinn Féin
, the Cypriot Progressive Party of Working People
(AKEL) and the Czech Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
joined the group.
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
political group with seats in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
since 1995.
Position
According to its 1994 constituent declaration, the group is opposed to the present European political structure, but committed to integration. That declaration sets out three aims for the construction of another Europe: the total change of institutions to make them "fully democratic"; and breaking with "neo-liberal monetarist policies"; and a policy of co-development and equitable cooperation. The group wants to disband NATO and "strengthen the OSCE".The group is ambiguous between reformism and revolution, leaving it up to each party to decide on the manner they deem best suited to achieve these aims. As such, it has simultaneously positioned itself as "insiders" within the European institutions, enabling it to influence the decisions made by co-decision, and as "outsiders" by its willingness to seek "another Union" which would abolish the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
.
Organisation
The GUE/NGL is a confederal group: it is composed of MEPsMember of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
from national parties. Those national parties must share common political objectives with the group, as specified in the group's constituent declaration. Nevertheless, those national parties, not the group, retain control of their MEPs. Thus, the Group may be divided on certain issues.
Members of the group meet regularly to prepare for meetings, debate on policies and vote on resolutions. The group also publishes reports on various topics.
Membership
MEPs may be full or associate members.- Full members must accept the constitutional declaration of the Group.
- Associate members need not fully do so but may sit with the full members.
National parties may be full or associate members.
- Full member parties must accept the constitutional declaration of the Group.
- Associate member parties may include parties that do not have MEPs (e.g. French Trotskyist parties which did not get elected in the 2004 European elections), are from states that are not part of the European Union, or do not wish to be full members.
Member parties
| Country | Electoral Group | National Party | MEPs | MEPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Party of Working People Progressive Party of Working People The Progressive Party of Working People is a communist party in Cyprus. It supports an independent, demilitarized and non-aligned Cyprus, and a federal solution of the internal aspect of the Cyprus problem. It places particular emphasis on rapprochement with the Turkish Cypriots. It supported... 2 |
2 | Takis Hadjigeorgiou Takis Hadjigeorgiou Takis is a Cypriot politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Progressive Party of Working People, sitting with the European United Left–Nordic Green Left group, on the European Parliament's Committee of Foreign Affairs.... Kyriacos Triantaphyllides Kyriacos Triantaphyllides Kyriacos Triantaphyllides is a Cypriot politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Progressive Party of Working People, sitting with the European United Left–Nordic Green Left group, on the European Parliament's Committee on Regional Development.He is member of the Committee on... |
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| Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia , abbreviated to KSČM, is a political party in the Czech Republic. It has a membership of 82,994 and is a member party of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left bloc in the European Parliament... 2 |
4 | Jaromír Kohlíček Jaromír Kohlícek Jaromír Kohlíček is a Czech politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia; part of the European United Left–Nordic Green Left party group in the European Parliament.... Jiří Maštálka Jirí Maštálka Jiří Maštálka is a Czech politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia; part of the European United Left–Nordic Green Left party group in the European Parliament.... Miloslav Ransdorf Miloslav Ransdorf Miloslav Ransdorf is a Czech politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia; part of the European United Left–Nordic Green Left party group in the European Parliament.... Vladimír Remek Vladimír Remek Vladimír Remek is the first Czechoslovak in space and the first cosmonaut from a country other than the Soviet Union or the United States. As of 2004, with the entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union Vladimír Remek is considered to be the first astronaut from the EU... |
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| People's Movement against the EU People's Movement against the EU The People's Movement against the EU is a political association in Denmark against the European Union. It was founded in 1972 as a cross-party campaign platform for a 'no' vote in Denmark's referendum on EEC membership... |
Red-Green Alliance Red-Green Alliance (Denmark) The Red-Green Alliance is a socialist political party in Denmark.- History :The party was formed in 1989 as an electoral alliance by three left-wing parties, Left Socialists , Communist Party of Denmark and Socialist Workers Party... 1 |
1 | Søren Søndergaard Søren Søndergaard Søren Fjordback Søndergaard is a former amateur boxer from Denmark. He won the bronze medal at the 1987 European Championships in Turin, Italy in the Men's Light Welterweight division. Nicknamed Mr... |
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| Left Front Left Front (France) The Left Front is a French electoral coalition for the 2009 European elections composed primarily of the French Communist Party, the Left Party and the Unitarian Left... |
French Communist Party French Communist Party The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French... 1 |
2 | Jacky Hénin Jacky Henin Jacky Hénin is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the north-west of France. He is a member of the French Communist Party, which is part of the European United Left–Nordic Green Left group, and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade.He is also... Patrick Le Hyaric Patrick Le Hyaric Patrick Le Hyaric is a French journalist, politician and Member of the European Parliament elected in the 2009 European election for the Île-de-France constituency... |
|
| Left Party Left Party (France) The Left Party is a French democratic socialist political party. It seeks to emulate the German political party Die Linke led by Gesine Lötzsch and Klaus Ernst.- History :... 1 |
1 | Jean-Luc Mélenchon Jean-Luc Mélenchon Jean-Luc Mélenchon is a French politician who served in the government of France as Minister of Vocational Education from 2000 to 2002. He was also a member of the Senate of France, representing the Essonne department... |
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| Communist Party of Réunion Communist Party of Réunion The Communist Party of Réunion is a Communist political party in the French overseas department of Réunion . The party has one seat in the French National Assembly.-History:... |
1 | Élie Hoarau Élie Hoarau Élie Hoarau is a French politician and member of the Communist Party of Réunion. He is the husband of Senator Gélita Hoarau.... |
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| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
1 | Marie-Christine Vergiat Marie-Christine Vergiat Marie-Christine Vergiat is a community organizations' activist and a French politician. As of June 2009, she is a Member of the European Parliament representing the Left Front. She is the companion of Jean-Pierre Dubois, president of the French Human Rights League, with whom she has a son... |
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| The Left The Left (Germany) The Left , also commonly referred to as the Left Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Germany. The Left is the most left-wing party of the five represented in the Bundestag.... 1 |
8 | Lothar Bisky Lothar Bisky Lothar Bisky is a German politician. He was the chairman of the Party of Democratic Socialism , the successor of East Germany's Socialist Unity Party . In June 2007 he became co-chairman of the The Left party, formed by a merger of the PDS and the much smaller Labour and Social Justice – The... Cornelia Ernst Thomas Händel Jürgen Klute Sabine Lösing Helmut Scholz Sabine Wils Gabriele Zimmer Gabriele Zimmer Gabriele Zimmer is a German politician.From 1981 to 1989 Zimmer was a member of the SED. Since 1989, she has been a member of the Party of Democratic Socialism . From 1990 to 1998 she was chairwoman of the PDS Thüringen... |
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| Communist Party of Greece Communist Party of Greece Founded in 1918, the Communist Party of Greece , better known by its acronym, ΚΚΕ , is the oldest party on the Greek political scene.- Foundation :... |
2 | Charalampos Angourakis Giorgos Toussas Giorgos Toussas Giorgos Toussas is a Greek politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Communist Party of Greece; part of the European United Left–Nordic Green Left. He was born in Koilada.-References:... |
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| Coalition of the Radical Left Coalition of the Radical Left The Coalition of the Radical Left , commonly known by its Greek abbreviation ΣΥΡΙΖΑ , is a coalition of left political parties in Greece... |
Synaspismós1 | 1 | Nikolaos Chountis | |
| United Left Alliance United Left Alliance The United Left Alliance is an electoral alliance of left-wing political parties and independent politicians in the Republic of Ireland, formed to contest the 2011 general election... |
Socialist Party Socialist Party (Ireland) The Socialist Party is a socialist political party active in Ireland. It is a member of the Committee for a Workers' International .Formerly known as Militant Tendency, then Militant Labour, it adopted the name The Socialist Party in 1996. From their foundation in 1972 until the 1980s, members of... |
1 | Paul Murphy Paul Murphy (Irish politician) Paul Murphy is an Irish Member of the European Parliament for the Dublin constituency, representing the Socialist Party/United Left Alliance .-Early life:... |
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| Harmony Centre Harmony Centre Harmony Centre is a political alliance in Latvia. It was formed in 2005 and its member parties are the Social Democratic Party "Harmony" and the Socialist Party of Latvia Harmony Centre (abbreviated SC; ) is a political alliance in Latvia. It was formed in 2005 and its member parties are the... |
Socialist Party of Latvia Socialist Party of Latvia The Socialist Party of Latvia was formed in 1994 as a successor party to the Communist Party of Latvia, which was banned in 1991. In essence, the party is communist; according to the programme of the party, the LSP was founded as an organization upholding socialist ideas after the 1991 events that... |
1 | Alfrēds Rubiks Alfreds Rubiks Alfrēds Rubiks is a Latvian Socialist politician and a former leader of the Communist Party of Latvia. Currently he is the Member of the European Parliament from Latvia... |
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| Socialist Party Socialist Party (Netherlands) The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet... |
2 | Dennis de Jong Dennis de Jong Dennis de Jong is a Dutch politician.- Life :De Jong studied law in Rotterdam. He worked for Netherlands government. Since 2009 De Jong is a member of European Parliament. De Jong is openly homosexual and lives together with Kees Vrijdag in Rotterdam.- External links :* -References:... Kartika Liotard Kartika Liotard Kartika Tamara Liotard is a Dutch politician and Member of the European Parliament... |
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| Left Bloc1 | 2 | Marisa Matias Miguel Portas Miguel Portas Miguel de Sacadura Cabral Portas is a Portuguese politician and a Member of the European Parliament for the Left Bloc; part of the European United Left–Nordic Green Left group... |
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| Democratic Unity Coalition | Portuguese Communist Party Portuguese Communist Party The Portuguese Communist Party is a major left-wing political party in Portugal. It is a Marxist-Leninist party, and its organization is based upon democratic centralism. The party also considers itself to be patriotic and internationalist.... |
2 | João Ferreira Ilda Figueiredo Ilda Figueiredo Maria Ilda da Costa Figueiredo is a Portuguese politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Portuguese Communist Party; part of the European United Left–Nordic Green Left group.... |
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| United Left United Left (Spain) The United Left is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 bringing together several political organisations opposed to Spain joining NATO. It was formed by a number of groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was dominated by the Communist Party of Spain... 1 |
Communist Party of Spain1 | 1 | Willy Meyer Pleite Willy Meyer Pleite Willy Meyer Pleite is a Spanish politician and Member of the European Parliament with the Izquierda Unida . He is a member of the bureau of the European United Left–Nordic Green Left and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries, Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on... |
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| Left Party Left Party (Sweden) The Left Party is a socialist and feminist political party in Sweden, from 1967 to 1990 known as the Left Party – The Communists .On welfare issues, the party opposes privatizations... ³ |
1 | Eva-Britt Svensson Eva-Britt Svensson Eva-Britt Svensson is a Swedish politician and former Member of the European Parliament. She is a member of the Left Party.... |
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| Sinn Féin Sinn Féin Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970... 4 |
1 | Bairbre de Brún Bairbre de Brún Bairbre de Brún is an Irish politician and Member of the European Parliament, representing Northern Ireland.- Political work :... |
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Notes
- 1 - Party is a member of the Party of the European LeftParty of the European LeftThe Party of the European Left, commonly abbreviated to just the European Left, is a political party at European level and an association of democratic socialist and communist political parties in the European Union and other European countries. It was formed in January 2004 for the purposes of...
(PEL) - ² - Party is an observer of the PEL
- ³ - Party is a member of the Nordic Green Left AllianceNordic Green Left AllianceThe Nordic Green Left Alliance is an alliance of Nordic left-wing parties, founded in Reykjavík, Iceland on February 1, 2004.The member organizations of NGLA are: Left Alliance Left-Green Movement Left Party Socialist Left Party Socialist People's Party Republicans Inuit Ataqatigiit Most of...
(NGLA) - 4 - Party is listed as from Ireland
History
In 1995, the enlargement of the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
led to the creation of the Nordic Green Left
Nordic Green Left
Nordic green left refers to a specific brand of socialism from the Nordic countries that incorporates elements of environmentalism and feminism. Nordic green left parties are organized in:...
group of parties. The Nordic Green Left merged with the Confederal Group of the European United Left on 6 January 1995, forming the Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left. It consisted of MEPs from the Finnish Left Alliance
Left Alliance (Finland)
The Left Alliance is a left-wing political party in Finland. It was founded on the basis of the Finnish People's Democratic League and the Communist Party of Finland in 1990....
, Swedish Left Party
Left Party (Sweden)
The Left Party is a socialist and feminist political party in Sweden, from 1967 to 1990 known as the Left Party – The Communists .On welfare issues, the party opposes privatizations...
, the Danish Socialist People's Party
Socialist People's Party (Denmark)
The Socialist People's Party is a green and socialist political party in Denmark.-1959–69:The SF was founded on 15 February 1959 by Aksel Larsen, a former leader of the Communist Party of Denmark and CIA agent. Larsen was removed from the ranks of the DKP for his criticism over the Soviet...
, United Left
United Left (Spain)
The United Left is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 bringing together several political organisations opposed to Spain joining NATO. It was formed by a number of groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was dominated by the Communist Party of Spain...
of Spain (including the Spanish Communist Party), the Greek Synaspismos, the French Communist Party
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
, Portuguese Communist Party
Portuguese Communist Party
The Portuguese Communist Party is a major left-wing political party in Portugal. It is a Marxist-Leninist party, and its organization is based upon democratic centralism. The party also considers itself to be patriotic and internationalist....
, the Communist Party of Greece
Communist Party of Greece
Founded in 1918, the Communist Party of Greece , better known by its acronym, ΚΚΕ , is the oldest party on the Greek political scene.- Foundation :...
, and the Communist Refoundation Party
Communist Refoundation Party
The Communist Refoundation Party is a communist Italian political party. Its current secretary is Paolo Ferrero....
of Italy.
In 1999, the German Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and the Greek Democratic Social Movement
Democratic Social Movement
The Democratic Social Movement is a Greek democratic socialist political party...
(DIKKI) joined as full members, while the five MEPs elected from the list of the French Trotskyist alliance LO
Workers' Struggle
Lutte Ouvrière is the usual name under which the Union Communiste , a French Trotskyist political party, is known, after the name of its weekly paper. Arlette Laguiller has been its spokeswoman since 1973 and has run in each presidential election, but Robert Barcia was its founder and central...
-LCR
Revolutionary Communist League (France)
See Revolutionary Communist League for the other Ligue communiste révolutionnaire.The Revolutionary Communist League was a French democratic revolutionary socialist political party. It was the French section of the Fourth International...
joined as associate members.
In 2002, four MEPs from the French Citizen and Republican Movement also joined the group.
In 2004, no MEPs were elected from LO-LCR and DIKKI was dissolved. MEPs from the Portuguese Left Bloc, the Irish Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, the Cypriot Progressive Party of Working People
Progressive Party of Working People
The Progressive Party of Working People is a communist party in Cyprus. It supports an independent, demilitarized and non-aligned Cyprus, and a federal solution of the internal aspect of the Cyprus problem. It places particular emphasis on rapprochement with the Turkish Cypriots. It supported...
(AKEL) and the Czech Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia , abbreviated to KSČM, is a political party in the Czech Republic. It has a membership of 82,994 and is a member party of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left bloc in the European Parliament...
joined the group.