Party of the European Left

History

Before the PEL was founded, most of its members already held annual meetings together, as part of the New European Left Forum (NELF). Several member and observer parties also participated in the more radical European Anti-Capitalist Left.

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. PEL is also supportive of progressivism.

It takes a soft Eurosceptic approach towards the European Union, and opposes militarization and foreign interventionism. PEL opposed the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan, and criticised the oppression of 2009 Iranian presidential election protests. It is also opposed to NATO and United States military bases. 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

Observer members

EL Partners

Former members

Individual members

EL also includes a number of individual members. While it has had a steadily high number of individual members, and currently the highest number, EL has not sought to develop mass individual membership.

Below is the evolution of individual membership of EL since 2019. |arg:cols=year,EL

Funding

As a registered European political party, EL is entitled to European public funding, which it has received continuously since 2004.

Below is the evolution of European public funding received by EL. |arg:where=party |arg:eq=EL |arg:cols=year,maximum_allocated,amount_received

In line with the Regulation on European political parties and European political foundations, EL also raises private funds to co-finance its activities. As of 2025, European parties must raise at least 10% of their reimbursable expenditure from private sources, while the rest can be covered using European public funding.

Below is the evolution of contributions and donations received by EL. |arg:cols=year,EL |arg:cols=year,EL

Representation in European institutions

Notes

References

References

1. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060615073739/http://www.european-left.org/about/introduction Some remarks concerning the creation of the Party of the European Left]
2. "Some remarks concerning the creation of the Party of the European Left". Official European Left site.
3. Hudson, Kate. (2012). "The New European Left: A Socialism for the Twenty-First Century?". Palgrave Macmillan.
4. Hudson, Kate. (2012). "The Party of the European Left". Palgrave Macmillan UK.
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6. "European Left convenes third congress in Paris".
7. (15 September 2010). "Executive board met in Luxembourg: Countdown to the Congress". Party of the European Left.
8. (6 December 2010). "EL elects new President and vice-chairpersons!". Party of the European Left.
9. (12 January 2013). "Convention of the 4th Congress of the Party of the European Left". Party of the European Left.
10. (16 December 2016). "5th Congress – Berlin 2016".
11. "Gysi elected president of European Left – DW – 12/17/2016".
12. (15 December 2019). "European Left Party elects Die Linke's Heinz Bierbaum as new president". Morning Star.
13. (3 February 2020). "European Left Congress".
14. Morea, Roberto. (2022-12-24). "Walter Baier, the new president of the Party of the European Left: we stand for peace and defend the environment".
15. "Grants from the European Parliament to political foundations at European level per foundation per year".
16. "History".
17. Neivelt, Jonas. (2024-08-27). "Enhedslisten forlader European Left og går med i nyt europæisk parti".
18. (24 July 2014). "Sinn Fein adopt 'Team Ireland' approach in Europe". Irish Examiner.
19. (1 April 2015). "European left backs asylum rights". Green Left Weekly.
20. (15 May 2014). "The EBU candidates debate – as it happened". Politico.
21. Hudson, Kate. (2012). "The Party of the European Left". Palgrave Macmillan UK.
22. Nordsieck, Wolfram. (2019). "European Union".
23. (14 March 2019). "The Populist Radical Left in Europe".
24. (2015). "Routledge handbook of European politics". [[Routledge]].
25. Hudson, Kate. (2012). "The new European left: a socialism for the twenty-first century?". [[Palgrave Macmillan]].
26. Martinelli, Alberto. (2020). "European society". [[Brill Publishers]].
27. Puig Meneses, Yaima. (16 February 2022). "Díaz-Canel thanks European Left Party for its longstanding support".
28. Baltner, Adam. (21 January 2023). "If the European Union Doesn't Democratize, It Will Crumble".
29. "Documents European Left 7th Congress". Party of the European Left.
30. (8 January 2024). "Our Parties". Party of the European Left.
31. Chryssogelos, Angelos-Stylianos. (2015). "Patterns of Transnational Partisan Contestation of European Foreign Policy". European Foreign Affairs Review.
32. [http://www.particommuniste.be/index.php/belgique/482-pourquoi-le-pcb-a-quitte-le-parti-de-la-gauche-europeenne-pge '' Pourquoi le PCB a quitté le Parti de la Gauche Européenne (PGE)''] — Official statement on the party website.
33. [http://news.dkp.suhail.uberspace.de/2016/02/elp-beobachterstatus-beendet/ ''ELP-Beobachterstatus beendet'' – Bericht vom 3. Tag des XXI. Parteitag der DKP.] Newswebsite of the Deutschen Kommunistischen Partei (DKP).
34. "Balanço das eleições europeias e caminhos para uma esquerda forte".
35. (9 September 2018). "United in diversity? Europarties and their individual members' rights". Routledge.
36. "Audit reports and donations".
37. "Funding from the European Parliament to European political parties per party and per year".
38. "Audit reports and donations".
39. "EPFO - Understanding party funding". European Democracy Consulting Stiftung.