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.

Party of the European Left Partei der Europäischen Linken Parti de la Gauche Européenne Partito della Sinistra Europea Partido de la Izquierda Europea Partido da Esquerda Europeia Κόμμα Ευρωπαϊκής Αριστεράς Avrupa Sol Partisi Il-Partit Ewropew tax-Xellug
Abbreviation	PEL[a]
President	Walter Baier (AT)
Founded	8–9 May 2004 (2004-05-08 – 2004-05-09); 21 years ago
Headquarters	Square de Meeûs 25, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Think tank	Transform Europe
Women's wing	EL-Fem
Membership	447
Ideology	Democratic socialism Communism Left-wing populism Anti-capitalism[1] Soft Euroscepticism
Political position	Left-wing to far-left
European Parliament group	The Left in the European Parliament (majority)
Colours	Dark red
European Parliament	16 / 720
European Commission	0 / 27
European Council	0 / 27
European Lower Houses	116 / 6,229
European Upper Houses	17 / 1,457
Website
european-left.org
Politics of the European Union Political parties Elections

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).^[2] 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.^[3][4] 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.^[5] The third congress was held on 2–5 December 2010 in Paris.^[6][7][8] Its fourth congress was held on 13–15 December 2013 in Madrid.^[9] Its fifth congress took place on 16–18 December 2016 in Berlin,^[10] and elected German lawyer and politician Gregor Gysi as the new PEL President.^[11] Heinz Bierbaum was elected president in 2019.^[12][13] He was succeeded by Walter Baier in December 2022.^[14]

It operates a think tank, Transform Europe, and it has women's wing named EL-Fem.^[15][16]

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.^[17]

Ideology

PEL has been described as a left-wing^[18][19] and a far-left^[20][21] political party. Its ideology is based on principles of democratic socialism,^[22][23] socialism,^[24] and communism.^[22][23][24] It is opposed to capitalism and consists of parties with wide range of opinions.^{[24][25]: 46} PEL is also supportive of progressivism.^[25]: 50

It takes a soft Eurosceptic approach towards the European Union,^[26] and opposes militarization and foreign interventionism.^[25]: 53 PEL opposed the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan, and criticised the oppression of 2009 Iranian presidential election protests.^[25]: 53 It is also opposed to NATO and United States military bases.^[25]: 54 It supports Cuba, and a delegation visited the nation in February 2022.^[27]

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".^[28]

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.^[29] As of October 2024, The Party of the European Left has 24 member parties in 21 countries.^[30] Not all members of PEL are members of The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament.^[24][31]

Full members

Country		Party	National MPs	MEPs[b]
Austria		Communist Party of Austria	–	–
Belarus		Belarusian Left Party "A Just World"	–	Not in the EU
Belgium		Communists of Wallonia-Brussels	–	–
Belgium		Workers' Party of Belgium	–	–
Bulgaria		Bulgarian Left	–	–
Croatia		Workers' Front	–	–
Czech Republic		The Left	–	–
Estonia		Estonian United Left Party	–	–
Finland		Communist Party of Finland	–	–
France		French Communist Party	8 / 577 (National Assembly)	–
			14 / 348 (Senate)
		Republican and Socialist Left	1 / 577 (National Assembly)	–
			0 / 348 (Senate)
Germany		The Left	64 / 736 (Bundestag)	2 / 96
			4 / 69 (Bundesrat)
Greece		New Left	11 / 300	–
		Syriza	26 / 300	4 / 21
Hungary		Workers' Party of Hungary 2006 – European Left	–	–
Italy		Communist Refoundation Party	–	–
Luxembourg		The Left	2 / 60	0 / 6
Moldova		Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova	8 / 101	Not in the EU
Romania		Romanian Socialist Party	–	–
Slovenia		The Left	5 / 90	0 / 9
Spain		United Left	5 / 350 (Congress of Deputies)	0 / 61
			0 / 266 (Senate of Spain)
		Communist Party of Spain	7 / 350 (Congress of Deputies)[c]
			0 / 266 (Senate of Spain)
	Catalonia	United and Alternative Left	–	–
Switzerland		Swiss Party of Labour	–	Not in the EU
Turkey		Left Party	–	Not in the EU
United Kingdom		Left Unity	–	Not in the EU

Observer members

Country		Party	National MPs	European MEPs
Belgium		Mouvement Demain [fr]	–	–
Cyprus		Progressive Party of Working People	15 / 56	1 / 6
	Northern Cyprus	New Cyprus Party	–	De facto not in the EU
		United Cyprus Party	–
Czech Republic		Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia	0 / 200 (Chamber of Deputies)	1 / 21
			0 / 81 (Senate)
Italy		Italian Left	4 / 400	2 / 76
			3 / 200
Slovakia		Communist Party of Slovakia	–	–
Spain		Sortu	1 / 23 (Congress of Deputies; Basque seats)	1 / 61
			1 / 20 (Senate of Spain; Basque seats)
United Kingdom		Transform Party	–	Not in the EU

EL Partners

Country		Party	National MPs	European MEPs
Austria		Der Wandel	–	–
		Left	–	–
France		Ensemble!	–	–
		République et Socialisme	–	–
Germany		Marxistische Linke	–	–
Hungary		Táncsics – Radical Left Party	–	–
		Yes Solidarity for Hungary Movement	–	–
Serbia		Solidarnost	–	Not in the EU
United Kingdom	Scotland	Democratic Left Scotland	–	Not in the EU
		Socialists for the Independence	–

Former members

Country	Party	Notes
Belgium	Communist Party	Stopped working as a Party in 2009, since December 2013 not listed as a Member.
	Communist Party of Belgium	Resignation decided at the party congress on 30 July 2018.[32]
Czech Republic	Party of Democratic Socialism	Merged into The Left in 2020.
Denmark	Red–Green Alliance	Left the EL in 2024.
Finland	Left Alliance	Delisted from the EL website in 2024.
France	Left Party	Left the EL on 1 July 2018.
	Unitary Left	Merged with the French Communist Party in 2015.
	La France Insoumise	Member until 2018, observer until 2024
Germany	German Communist Party	Ended its observer status on 27 February 2016.[33]
Greece	Renewing Communist Ecological Left	Merged into Syriza in 2013.
Hungary	Hungarian Workers' Party	Quit 1 May 2009.
Italy	Party of Italian Communists	Dissolved in December 2014, which meant that the "observer status" was lost.
	The Other Europe	Dissolved in 2019, which meant that the "observer status" was lost.
Poland	Young Socialists	Dissolved in 2015, which meant that the "observer status" was lost.
Portugal	Left Bloc	Quit 22 June 2024.[34]

Representation in European institutions

Organisation	Institution	Number of seats
European Union	European Parliament	16 / 720 (2%) [35]
	European Commission	0 / 27 (0%) [36]
	European Council (Heads of Government)	0 / 27 (0%) [37]
	Council of the European Union (Participation in Government)
	Committee of the Regions	0 / 329 (0%) [38]
Council of Europe (as part of UEL)	Parliamentary Assembly	34 / 612 (6%) [39]

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

1. The abbreviation "EL" is also used.
2. The number of MEPs listed below may not match the total number of MEPs of the European party, as it does not include MEPs who join as individual members.
3. 4 of the deputies of the Communist Party of Spain are also members of United Left