10.07.2002

Left unity in Europe

The European Anti-Capitalist Left held its fourth conference in Madrid on June 18-19. This is the statement put out afterwards

Following earlier conferences in Lisbon, Paris and Brussels, the conference of the European Anti-Capitalist Left took place for the fourth time this year in Madrid. The organisations present were: Red Green Alliance (RGA, Denmark), Scottish Socialist Party (SSP, Scotland), Socialist Alliance (SA, England), Socialist Workers Party (SWP, Britain), La Gauche/Die Linke (The Left, Luxemburg), Revolutionary Communist League (LCR , France), Left Bloc (BdE, Portugal), Party of Communist Refoundation (PRC, Italy), Solidarity (Switzerland), Party of Solidarity and Freedom (ÖDP, Turkey), Alternative Space (Espacio Alternativo, Spain), Zutik (Basque Country); and as observers: Red Current (Corriente Roja, formerly Plataforma de Izquierda, inside Izquierda Unida, Spain) and United Left (Izquierda Unida, Spain). The German Communist Party (DKP) attended the meeting without being part of the conference. The Socialist Party (SP, Netherlands), absent this time, had sent a message expressing its interest in the conference and its desire to continue working with it. The conference had on its agenda: the situation of the left in Europe; the policies of the EU; a common political declaration; the counter-summit in Copenhagen during the upcoming Danish presidency; and a point of information on the general strike in Spain and the mobilisations in Seville. The conference noted major progress during this fourth meeting, including: strengthening of most of the participating organisations in their respective countries; Rifondazione Comunista's entry into the conference (without its having left the GUE/NLG, which includes most of the European communist parties); the participating organisations' substantial involvement in the social movement against capitalist globalisation, the anti-war movement, and the movement in solidarity with the Palestinian people; and a basic consensus on the analysis of the political situation and the role of the anti-capitalist left. The conference took a stand in favour of a process leading to the establishment of a European anti-capitalist formation that would constitute a credible alternative to the social-liberal left in government. In this spirit, the conference supports the PRC's call to organise a Forum of the Alternative Left next October. The conference will contribute to the formation of the European Social Forum, which is a major development for the social, trade union and citizens' movement on a continental scale. It will support the ESF's foundation, central activities and objectives in all European countries. The conference decided to coordinate its work better, particularly in the struggle against any new war waged by US imperialism and its allies, in solidarity with immigrants, and in the struggle for "European-wide social rights". It will take this opportunity to adopt a common logo in order to underscore its political identity as a European anti-capitalist current. The organisations of the conference will work to ensure the success of the counter-summit during the Danish EU presidency. The conference decided to hold its fifth meeting in December 2002 in Copenhagen. This meeting will be organised by the Red Green Alliance.