• Source: Party of the European Left

The Party of the European Left (PEL), or European Left (EL), is a European political party that operates as 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. The PEL was founded on 8–9 May 2004 in Rome. The elected MEPs from member parties of the PEL sit in The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament, though not all PEL members are also members of GUE/NGL.
Several member and observer parties participate also in the more radical European Anti-Capitalist Left. Before the PEL was founded, most of its members already held annual meetings together, as part of the New European Left Forum (NELF). The current president is the Austrian politician Walter Baier.




History


The Party of European Left (PEL) was formed on 8 and 9 May 2004 in Rome, Italy. The party's first congress took place on 8 October 2005 in Athens, and 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. Its fourth congress was held on 13–15 December 2013 in Madrid. Its fifth congress took place on 16–18 December 2016 in Berlin, and elected German lawyer and politician Gregor Gysi as the new PEL President. Heinz Bierbaum was elected president in 2019. He was succeeded by Walter Baier in December 2022.
It operates a think tank, Transform Europe, and it has women's wing named EL-Fem.
In 2024, the Danish member Red-Green Alliance (Enhedlisten) announced the schism of the party and the formation of a socially liberal (green- and pro-Ukraine leaning) European Left Alliance for the People and the Planet, in short ELA. The split follows the split of socially liberal Die Linke and socially conservative BSW in Germany, and the creation of a separate platform for the 2024 European elections, Now the People.




Ideology


PEL has been described as a left-wing and a far-left political party. Its ideology is based on principles of democratic socialism, socialism, and communism. It is opposed to capitalism and consists of parties with wide range of opinions.: 46  PEL is also supportive of progressivism.: 50 
It takes a soft Eurosceptic approach towards the European Union, and opposes militarization and foreign interventionism.: 53  PEL opposed the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan, and criticised the oppression of 2009 Iranian presidential election protests.: 53  It is also opposed to NATO and United States military bases.: 54  It supports Cuba, and a delegation visited the nation in February 2022.
In an interview with the political magazine Jacobin, Walter Baier, the president of PEL, described PEL as part of the "socialist left" and criticised the European Union, stating that it is neoliberal and "closer to enlightened absolutism than parliamentary democracy".




Leadership


President: Fausto Bertinotti (2004–2007), Lothar Bisky (2007–2010), Pierre Laurent (2010–2016), Gregor Gysi (2016–2019), Heinz Bierbaum (2019–2022), Walter Baier (2022–present)
Leader in the European Parliament: Francis Wurtz (2004–2009), Lothar Bisky (2009–2012), Gabi Zimmer (2012–2019), Martin Schirdewan (2019–present)




Membership


The Party of the European Left consists of member parties with full rights, observer parties, individual members and EL partners. As of October 2024, The Party of the European Left has 24 member parties in 21 countries. Not all members of PEL are members of The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament.




= Full members

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= Observer members

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= EL Partners

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= Former members

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Representation in European institutions






See also


European Anti-Capitalist Left
European United Left–Nordic Green Left
Initiative of Communist and Workers' Parties
List of communist parties represented in European Parliament
Nordic Green Left Alliance
Now the People
Unified European Left Group
European political party
Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations
European political foundation




Notes






References






External links



Official website

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Politik sayap kiri
• Partai Rakyat Eropa
• Die Linke
• Kiri dan kanan (politik)
• Syriza
• Partai Sosialis Eropa
• Dewan Eropa
• Partai Gerakan Indonesia Raya
• Populisme sayap kanan
• Sosialisme demokratis
• Party of the European Left
• The Left in the European Parliament
• The Left (Germany)
• List of left and far-left parties in Europe
• Left Party (France)
• European Democratic Party
• Left Party (Turkey)
• Democratic Party of the Left
• Left Party (Sweden)
• European Left Alliance for the People and the Planet