On Friday 9 November in Bilbao at the European Forum of Progressive Forces, some of the European leaders of the radical left and the Greens, as well as the communists, among whom is Gabriele Zimmer (President of the GUE/NGL), Maite Mola (Vice-President of the ELP), Benoît Hamon (founder of Génération.s), as well as Pierre Laurent (National Secretary of the Communist Party), were present (see EUROPE 12133). Objective: to organise convergence at European level against neo-liberalism, the extreme right and to redirect the European plan.
Opening the press conference, the Communist and former President of the European Left Party (ELP), Pierre Laurent, considers it to be "a major political initiative in Europe", which seeks to respond to the social, environmental and democratic emergency caused by "liberal determination" - a determination that, according to him, is at the root of national and xenophobic upheavals.
This edition, which follows the Marseille Forum (see EUROPE 12001), aims to make a "qualitative" leap forward to broadly unite the progressive European forces, which are too "fragmented" for the upcoming European elections, but especially in the medium and long term, said Mr Laurent.
An opinion shared by Gabi Zimmer and even Benoît Hamon. "On the European left and in political ecology, there is an overflow of parties, an overflow of leaders and too few ideas and solutions", he regretted.
According to Mr Hamon, the real issue is offering citizens an alternative scenario to the nationalist and xenophobic on the one hand and the liberal on the other. But how? He explains by waging an ideological and cultural battle that must be "radically divided" on questions of migration and the environment and their relevance to work, in particular.
And for that to happen, you have to be the "everyday life" party, which fights both ideologically and on the ground, he continued, before adding as a warning : "I hope that we will be able to move quickly enough away from the symposiums and forums to the field on which we will begin the reconquest".
GUE/NGL: status quo or "new division"?
The European elections, although not explicitly on the agenda, are on everyone's minds. "One thing is clear - Mrs Zimmer warned -the European Parliament will change radically. We are going to have a new structure of political families". The question is how to get the left and, in this case, the GUE/NGL group, out of its isolation in Parliament, she said.
As such, when questioned by EUROPE on the future of the GUE/NGL, a topic that had been discussed at the highest level in the group earlier in the week (see EUROPE 12132, 12133), Mrs Zimmer expressed the wish that the group would persist and keep its confederal structure in order to serve as a common platform for the whole Left gathered in all its diversity. "I hope we will develop this plan and not say goodbye", she concluded.
A proposal that others did not seem to agree with. "I hope that in the European Parliament, we will not find the same division as we have today. In any case, we will work on it", replied Mr Hamon, explaining that he wanted to bring together parliamentarians from the GUE/NGL, the Greens/EFA group and even social democracy to create a new force. However, he qualified his remarks by stating that the issue will be raised after the European elections.
Absence of La France insoumise and Maintenant le peuple!
The pan-European movement Maintenant le peuple was not among the hundred or so parties and movements present at the Forum, nor were the French movement La France insoumise. Asked by EUROPE about the reasons for their absence, the leaders explained that their invitation fell on deaf ears, despite several reminders. However, the door remains open. "We want a progressive and open approach. Those who are not there will be there in spirit", Mr. Laurent said. "We don't draw any red lines between those who are there and those who are not there.”
It is a symbolic date. The date of the Forum, on 9 to 11 November, is no coincidence. November 9 corresponds to the anniversary date of the "Kristallnacht" ('Reichspogromnacht'), the 1938 pogrom against the Jews under the Third Reich, while November 11 marks the end of the First World War in 1918. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)