Party of the European Left
Encyclopedia
The 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 running in the 2004 European Parliament elections
. It was founded on May 8, 2004, in Rome.
Its first congress took place on October 8, 2005, in Athens
, which produced the Athens Declaration of the European Left
. The second congress was held 23–25 November 2007 in Prague
. The third congress was held on 2–5 December 2010 in Paris
.
Several of the member and observer parties participate also in the more radical European Anticapitalist Left
. Before the European Left was founded, most of its members already held annual meetings together as part of the New European Left Forum (NELF), which still exists.
As well as those of member and observer parties, individuals may also hold membership of the party.
Democratic socialism
Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
and communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
political parties in the European Union
European 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...
and other European countries. It was formed in January 2004 for the purposes of running in the 2004 European Parliament elections
European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
. It was founded on May 8, 2004, in Rome.
Its first congress took place on October 8, 2005, in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, which produced the Athens Declaration of the European Left
Athens Declaration of the European Left
The Athens Declaration of the European Left is a joint declaration that was produced produced at the conclusion of the 1st congress of the European Left, a European political party. The congress was held in Athens on 29–30 October 2005...
. The second congress was held 23–25 November 2007 in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. The third congress was held on 2–5 December 2010 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Several of the member and observer parties participate also in the more radical European Anticapitalist Left
European Anticapitalist Left
The European Anticapitalist Left is an informal network for European anticapitalist left wing parties. EACL met for the first time in Lisbon in March 2000 with the representation of the Scottish Socialist Party, the Portuguese Left Bloc, the Danish Red-Green Alliance, the French LCR, and the...
. Before the European Left was founded, most of its members already held annual meetings together as part of the New European Left Forum (NELF), which still exists.
Member parties
| Country | Party | MEPs | MPs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communist Party of Austria Communist Party of Austria The Communist Party of Austria is a communist party based in Austria. Established in 1918, it was banned between 1933 and 1945 under both the Austrofascist regime, and German control of Austria during World War II... |
0 | 0 | |
| Communist Party (Wallonia) Communist Party (Wallonia) Communist Party is a political party in Wallonia, Belgium. PC was founded in 1989 as the Communist Party of Belgium was bifurcated along linguistic lines. The president of PC is Pierre Beauvois.... |
0 | 0 | |
| Communist Party (Flanders) Communist Party (Flanders) The Communist Party is a political party in Flanders, Belgium. It was founded in 1989 in the aftermath of the split of the Communist Party of Belgium along linguistic lines. The political secretary of the KP is Jaak Perquy.The KP publishes a newspaper, Agora... |
0 | 0 | |
| Belarusian United Left Party "Fair World" | 0 | 0 | |
| Bulgarian Left Bulgarian Left The Bulgarian Left is a socialist political party in Bulgaria.It was created in February 2010 predominantly by members of the Bulgarian Socialist Party. Its leader is Boyan Borisov Kirov.... |
0 | 0 | |
| Party of Democratic Socialism Party of Democratic Socialism (Czech Republic) The Party of Democratic Socialism is a democratic socialist political party in the Czech Republic. It is a founding member party of the Party of the European Left.... |
0 | 0 | |
| 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... |
0 | 12/179 | |
| Estonian United Left Party Estonian United Left Party The Estonian United Left Party is a political party in Estonia.-History:In June 1988 Communist Party of Estonia , i.e. the Estonian branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, chief Karl Vaino was replaced by the reform-minded Soviet Ambassador to Nicaragua Vaino Väljas, the former... |
0 | 0 | |
| Communist Party of Finland | 0 | 0 | |
| 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.... |
0 | 14/200 | |
| 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... |
3/72 | 7/577 | |
| 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 :... |
1/72 | 3/577 | |
| Unitarian Left Unitarian Left Unitarian Left is a political party in France which used to be one part of a faction within the Revolutionary Communist League... |
0 | 0 | |
| 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.... |
8/99 | 76/620 | |
| Synaspismos | 1/22 | 13/300 | |
| Workers' Party of Hungary 2006 Workers' Party of Hungary 2006 The Workers' Party of Hungary 2006 is a political party in Hungary.It was created in mid-November 2005 from the internal opposition of the Hungarian Communist Workers' Party... |
0 | 0 | |
| Communist Refoundation Party Communist Refoundation Party The Communist Refoundation Party is a communist Italian political party. Its current secretary is Paolo Ferrero.... |
0 | 0 | |
| The Left The Left (Luxembourg) The Left is a left-wing and socialist political organisation in Luxembourg. The Left was formed on 30 January 1999 by a group of like minded activists, many of them affiliated with existing political parties, notably the Communist Party of Luxembourg , the New Left, the Revolutionary Socialist... |
0 | 1/60 | |
| Left Bloc | 2/22 | 8/230 | |
| Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova | 0 | 42/101 | |
| Romanian Communist Party | 0 | 0 | |
| Sammarinese Communist Refoundation | 0 | 3/60 | |
| United Left United Left United Left is the name of a political party or coalition in various countries* Argentina - United Left* Austria - United Left * Bolivia - United Left * Chile - United Left* Costa Rica - United Left... |
1/50 | 11/350 | |
| Communist Party of Spain Communist Party of Spain The Communist Party of Spain is the third largest national political party in Spain. It is the largest member organization of the United Left electoral coalition and has influence in the largest trade union in Spain, Workers' Commissions .... |
n/a | n/a | |
| United Alternative Left of Catalonia | 0 | 0 | |
| Swiss Party of Labour | 0 | 0 | |
| Freedom and Solidarity Party Freedom and Solidarity Party Freedom and Solidarity Party is a left-wing party in Turkey. The party has had limited electoral success, although it controls a number of town halls and is influential in some unions of public employees... |
0 | 0 |
Observer Parties
| Country | Party | MEPs | MPs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Another Left Another Left Another Left is an electoral initiative in Wallonia, Belgium. It was founded in 2006 as a result of proposed cooperation between the Revolutionary Communist League and other left groups.... |
0 | 0 | |
| 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... |
2/6 | 19/56 | |
| 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... |
4/22 | 26/200 | |
| German Communist Party German Communist Party The German Communist Party is a Marxist-Leninist party in Germany.-History:The DKP was formed in West Germany in 1968, in order to fill the place of the Communist Party of Germany , which had been banned by the Federal Constitutional Court in 1956... |
0 | 0 | |
| AKOA Renewing Communist Ecological Left Renewing Communist Ecological Left is a political party in Greece. It was formed mostly by members of the late eurocommunist-influenced KKE Interior.In the 2000 parliamentary elections AKOA supported Synaspismos... |
0 | 0 | |
| Party of Italian Communists Party of Italian Communists The Party of Italian Communists is a communist political party in Italy. Its long-time leader is Oliviero Diliberto.-Foundation and early years:... |
0 | 0 | |
| New Cyprus Party New Cyprus Party The New Cyprus Party is a left-wing, democratic socialist Turkish-Cypriot political party. Before 2004 it was known as the Patriotic Unity Movement .-External links:**... |
0 | 0 | |
| United Cyprus Party United Cyprus Party The United Cyprus Party is a left-wing, socialist party in Northern Cyprus. The party was founded on 2003 by İzzet İzcan. It supports the idea of a free, demilitarised and united Cyprus.... |
0 | 0 | |
| Young Socialists Young Socialists (Poland) The Young Socialists are a Polish political organisation formed in 2005. Membership is open to those aged 16–35 .... |
0 | 0 | |
| Communist Party of Slovakia Communist Party of Slovakia The Communist Party of Slovakia is a communist party in Slovakia, formed in 1992, through the merger of the Communist Party of Slovakia – 91 and the Communist League of Slovakia.According to Luboš Blaha the KSS supported the government of Robert Fico.... |
0 | 0 |
As well as those of member and observer parties, individuals may also hold membership of the party.
Pending for membership
The following parties have applied for a membership in the Party of the European Left. Their observer or full membership status will be discussed on the next meeting of the Executive Board.| Socio-ecological platform Bukersdorf | |
| Justice Party |
External links
- http://www.european-left.org - Official Website
- http://www.sinistraeuropea.it - Italian Website