Marseilles forum: the first step to unity of the left forces in Europe

France

It is in own way symptomatic that many communist parties of "Old World", in October and November both on national, and on international levels actively participating in festive actions in connection with century of Great October revolution, on just last in "the southern capital" France — Marseille the European forum of progressive forces with all definiteness supported a unification of the left forces Europe.

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With idea of holding such forum forces united in scale EU (EU) in the Party of the European Left (PEL) into which under the leadership of the known German politician Gizi Gregor enter various national Left-wing socialist and moderate communist parties acted several months ago. In the address signed by tens politicians, trade-union heads and intellectuals with an appeal to hold in Marseille the general forum it was noted that "EU is shipped in steady crisis, existential crisis" as a result of which all countries and the people suffer from negative effects of "rigid economy". In the statement the left political and public figures noted:

"From us have enough this antisocial, authoritative, greedy and egoistical Europe! "

Also politicians and the public activists who have called for the general forum in Marseille, in the address declared that it is necessary to look for roads for the European left alternative:

"We those who looks for other way: way of construction Europe social and ecological progress, feministic and anti-racist Europe, democratic, reasonable and peace Europe".

That who is aware of the European policy, know well that at the level of EU as a whole, in the majority of separately taken European countries for today there are no contractual and concrete forms and the framework stipulating existence of the unions of the left forces. Therefore the example for the project focused on SANG parts took … in Latin America. Exactly there here already more than a quarter of the century there is a Forum San-Paulu, within which progressive Latin American parties (from the extremely left to the parties entering Socialist International) hold annual meetings and form the general pan-continental strategy of activity. Till November 10 the Forum San-Paulu was for the international left movement by really unique phenomenon. Not for nothing heads of left-wing parties were invited to the Marseilles conference from Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Uruguay, El Salvador …

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the Marseilles forum in respect of an ideological and political palette, perhaps, concedes to the Latin American analog though it must be kept in mind that is a question after all only of an experimental event. As the chairman declared in the report at a forum SANG Gizi Gregor, need to create the general for the left forces Europe a forum in which representatives of left-wing parties, labor unions, the social organizations, civil movements and the left intellectuals who have been in opposition adjusted to a present course of EU and, at the same time, calling to fight against the extremely right, nationalist danger would participate came.

it is unconditional, from more than 400 delegates of the European forum of progressive forces the superiority in strength belonged to representatives of the parties which are actively participating in SANG. First of all here it is a question of the leading organizer of a meeting — the French communist party, German "Left" and Greek Syriza. However, would not be true to limit number of participants of a November forum only to space of "euroleft".

To Marseille there arrived also many the European left deputies entering into groups of socialists and "green", but adjusted to work together with other European "progressionists". The traditional Communist Parties which are not entering in participated in a forum SANG, in particular, Cypriot AKEL and Communist party Czech Republic and Moravia. People from the left populist parties influential in the countries — Spanish Podemos and Irish "Sinn Féin" were presented. To Marseille there arrived also representatives of some ecological parties of "Old World" (France, Austria). Success of organizers was also that responded to the invitation most, perhaps, left for today force in the European social democratic movement — the British Labour party. It is also important to emphasize that the forum had really socio-political character; after all besides delegates from left-wing parties there were representatives of various student's, youth, women's organizations, bosses of the European confederation of labor unions, leading professional leaders from France, Germany, United Kingdom and Spain.

accepted following the results of a meeting in Marseille the political document it is noted by

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"The purpose in developing further a forum for discussions, cooperation, coordination and through various forces … to work together over common goals, and to carry out in common public campaigns for key questions for Europeans".

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It is decided to make "The Marseilles forum" annual and in 2018 again to hold already the second European forum of the left, green and progressive forces.

thus that from the former Soviet Union the representation in Marseille was, to put it mildly, modest, it must be kept in mind that the parties presented at a forum consistently oppose a course on deterioration of the relations between EU and Russian Federation. As one of organizers of a forum, the member of the administrative board of the French Communist Party Anne Sabouren declared in interview to the Yumanite newspaper,

"it is better than dangerous image to play

the intensity card with Moscow, it would be possible … to demand adoption of original international contracts continental European safety and cooperation which it would be possible to call "Helsinki-II".

Kostyuk Ruslan