| The Left in the European Parliament | |
|---|---|
| European Parliament group | |
 | |
| Name | The Left in the European Parliament |
| English abbr. | The Left |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Left-wing[4][a] |
| European parties | European Left Alliance for the People and the Planet Party of the European Left |
| From | 6 January 1995; 30 years ago (1995-01-06)[9] |
| Preceded by | European United Left |
| Chaired by | Manon Aubry Martin Schirdewan |
| MEP(s) | 46 / 720 |
| Website | left |
The Left in the European Parliament (The Left) is a left-wingpolitical group of the European Parliament established in 1995.[10][4] Prior to January 2021 it was named theEuropean United Left/Nordic Green Left (French:Gauche unitaire européenne/Gauche verte nordique,GUE/NGL).[11]
The group is mainly composed ofdemocratic socialist parties, as well as somecommunist parties and thepopulist ItalianFive Star Movement.[1][2][15]
In 1995, the enlargement of theEuropean Union led to the creation of theNordic Green Left (NGL) group of parties. The NGL merged with theConfederal Group of the European United Left (GUE) on 6 January 1995,[9] forming the Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left.[16][17][18] The NGL suffix was added to the name of the expanded group at the insistence of Swedish and Finnish MEPs.[19] The group initially consisted of MEPs from the FinnishLeft Alliance, the SwedishLeft Party, the DanishSocialist People's Party, theUnited Left of Spain (including theSpanish Communist Party), theSynaspismos of Greece, theFrench Communist Party, thePortuguese Communist Party, theCommunist Party of Greece, and theCommunist Refoundation Party of Italy.
In 1998Ken Coates, an MEP expelled from theUK Labour Party and who co-founded theIndependent Labour Network, joined the group.[20]
In 1999 the GermanParty of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and the GreekDemocratic Social Movement (DIKKI) joined as full members, while the five MEPs elected from the list of the French Trotskyist allianceLO–LCR and the one MEP for the DutchSocialist Party joined as associate members.
In 2002 four MEPs from the FrenchCitizen and Republican Movement and one from the DanishPeople's Movement against the EU also joined the group. In 2004 no MEPs were elected from LO–LCR and DIKKI — which was undergoing a dispute with its leader over the party constitution — and the FrenchCitizen and Republican Movement did not put forward candidates. MEPs from the PortugueseLeft Bloc, the IrishSinn Féin, theProgressive Party of Working People of Cyprus, and theCommunist Party of Bohemia and Moravia joined the group. The DanishSocialist People's Party, a member of the Nordic Green Left, left the group to instead sit in theGreens–European Free Alliance group.[citation needed]
In 2009 no MEPs were elected from the ItalianCommunist Refoundation Party and the FinnishLeft Alliance. MEPs from the IrishSocialist Party, theSocialist Party of Latvia, and the FrenchLeft Party joined the group.[citation needed]
In 2013 one MEP from theCroatian Labourists – Labour Party also joined the group. In 2014 no MEPs were elected from the IrishSocialist Party, theSocialist Party of Latvia, and theCroatian Labourists – Labour Party. MEPs from the SpanishPodemos as well asEH Bildu and the DutchParty for the Animals joined the group, while MEPs from the ItalianCommunist Refoundation Party and the FinnishLeft Alliance re-entered parliament and rejoined. TheCommunist Party of Greece, a founding member of the group, decided to leave and instead sit asNon-Inscrits.[21]
In 2019 no MEPs were elected from theFrench Communist Party, the DanishPeople's Movement against the EU, the DutchSocialist Party, and from the Italian partiesThe Left and theCommunist Refoundation Party. MEPs from the FrenchLa France insoumise, the BelgianWorkers' Party of Belgium, the GermanHuman Environment Animal Protection Party, the IrishIndependents 4 Change, and the DanishRed-Green Alliance joined the group.
In 2024 MEPs from the Italian partiesItalian Left andFive Star Movement joined the group.[22][23]
According to its 1994 constituent declaration, the group is opposed to the presentEuropean Union political structure, but it is committed to integration.[24] That declaration sets out three aims for the construction of another European Union, the total change of institutions to make them fully democratic, breaking with neoliberalmonetarist policies, and a policy of co-development and equitable cooperation.[citation needed] The group wants to disband theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and strengthen theOrganization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).[citation needed][needs update]
The group is divided between reformism and revolution, leaving it up to each party to decide on the manner they deem best suited to achieve their aims. As such, it has simultaneously positioned itself as insiders within theEuropean institutions, enabling it to influence the decisions made byco-decision; and as outsiders by its willingness to seek another Europe, which would abolish theMaastricht Treaty.[25]
GUE/NGL has been split on the issue of Russia. On 1 March 2022, 7 MEPs out of the group's 37 voted against the parliament's resolution condemning theRussian invasion of Ukraine, while 10 also abstained in the vote that passed 637–14.[26] Even before the war, there have been tensions in the group, especially with the Irish MEPsMick Wallace andClare Daly working to defuse sanctions on Russia placed because of the downing of theMalaysia Airlines Flight 17.[27]
MEPs may be full or associate members.[citation needed]
National parties may be full or associate members.[citation needed]
| Country | National party | European party | MEPs[28] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Belgium | Workers' Party of Belgium | PEL[b] | 1 / 22 | |
| Independent Rudi Kennes | PEL individual member | 1 / 22 | ||
 Cyprus | Progressive Party of Working People | PEL observer PEL individual member | 1 / 6 | |
 Denmark | Red–Green Alliance | ELA | 1 / 15 | |
 Finland | Left Alliance | ELA | 3 / 15 | |
 France | La France Insoumise | ELA | 9 / 81 | |
 Germany | The Left | PEL | 3 / 96 | |
| Human Environment Animal Protection Party | None PEL individual member | 1 / 96 | ||
 Greece | Syriza | PEL | 4 / 21 | |
 Ireland | Sinn Féin | None PEL individual members | 2 / 14 | |
| Independent Luke 'Ming' Flanagan | PEL individual member | 1 / 14 | ||
 Italy | Five Star Movement | None | 8 / 76 | |
| Italian Left | PEL observer PEL individual member[c] | 2 / 76 | ||
 Netherlands | Party for the Animals | None | 1 / 31 | |
 Portugal | Left Bloc | ELA | 1 / 21 | |
| Portuguese Communist Party | None | 1 / 21 | ||
 Spain | Podemos | ELA | 2 / 61 | |
| Movimiento Sumar | None PEL individual member | 1 / 61 | ||
| EH Bildu | ELA observer EFA individual member[30] | 1 / 61 | ||
 Sweden | Left Party | ELA | 2 / 21 | |
 European Union | Total | 46 / 720 | ||
The initial member parties for the 9th European Parliament was determined at the first meeting on 29 May 2019.[32]
| Country | National party | European party | MEPs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | Progressive Party of Working People | PEL (observer) | 2 / 6 | |
 Czech Republic | Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia | PEL (observer) | 4 / 22 | |
| Denmark | People's Movement against the EU | EUD | 1 / 13 | |
| France | Left Front | French Communist Party | PEL | 2 / 72 |
| Left Party | PEL | 1 / 72 | ||
| Communist Party of Réunion | 1 / 72 | |||
| Independent | 1 / 72 | |||
| Germany | The Left | PEL | 8 / 99 | |
| Greece | Communist Party of Greece | 2 / 22 | ||
| Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) | 1 / 22 | |||
| Ireland | Socialist Party | 1 / 12 | ||
 Latvia | Harmony Centre | Socialist Party | 1 / 8 | |
| Netherlands | Socialist Party | 2 / 25 | ||
| Portugal | Left Bloc | PEL | 2 / 22 | |
| Democratic Unity Coalition | Portuguese Communist Party | 2 / 22 | ||
| Spain | United Left | Communist Party of Spain | PEL | 1 / 54 |
| Sweden | Left Party | 1 / 20 | ||
 United Kingdom | Sinn Féin (Contests elections inNorthern Ireland only) | 1 / 3 | ||
| Country | National party | European party | MEPs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | Progressive Party of Working People | PEL (observer) | 2 / 6 | |
| Czech Republic | Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia | PEL (observer) | 6 / 22 | |
| Denmark | People's Movement against the EU | EUD | 1 / 14 | |
| Finland | Left Alliance | 1 / 13 | ||
| France | French Communist Party | PEL | 3 / 74 | |
| Germany | The Left | PEL | 6 / 99 | |
| Greece | Communist Party of Greece | 3 / 21 | ||
| Synaspismos | PEL | 1 / 21 | ||
| Ireland | Sinn Féin | 1 / 13 | ||
| Italy | Communist Refoundation Party | PEL | 5 / 73 | |
| Party of Italian Communists | PEL (observer) | 2 / 73 | ||
| Netherlands | Socialist Party | 2 / 26 | ||
| Portugal | Portuguese Communist Party | 2 / 21 | ||
| Left Bloc | 1 / 21 | |||
| Spain | United Left | PEL | 1 / 54 | |
| Sweden | Left Party | 2 / 20 | ||
| United Kingdom | Sinn Féin (Contests elections inNorthern Ireland only) | 1 / 73 | ||
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(September 2024) |
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(September 2024) |
| Chairperson | Took office | Left office | Country (Constituency) | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alonso Puerta | .jpg) | 1995 | 1999 | Spain |  United Left |
| Francis Wurtz |  | 1999 | 2009 | France (Île-de-France) | .svg) Communist Party |
| Lothar Bisky |  | 2009 | 2012 | Germany | .svg) The Left |
| Gabi Zimmer |  | 2012 | 2019 | Germany | The Left |
| Manon Aubry* | .jpg) | 2019 | present | France |  La France Insoumise |
| Martin Schirdewan* | .jpg) | 2019 | present | Germany | The Left |
| Election year | No. of overall seats won | +/– |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 34 / 567 | |
| 1999 | 42 / 626 | 8 |
| 2004 | 41 / 732 | 1 |
| 2009 | 35 / 766 | 6 |
| 2014 | 52 / 751 | 17 |
| 2019 | 41 / 751 | 11 |
| 2024 | 47 / 720 | 6 |
The GUE/NGL, a left-wing group in the parliament, called for Tajani's immediate resignation, saying in a statement the body "cannot be represented by a president who tolerates the Fascist initiator himself".
On the other side of the spectrum, the Dutch delegation of the left-wing European United Left-Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) announced Monday they would approve the text despite group opposition.
In the previous mandate, a report on a piece of legislation securing the privacy of online communications was narrowly agreed by a center-left majority backed by some liberals and the left-wing GUE/NGL group.
Both the Non-Inscrits and the left-wing group of GUE/NGL would lose a single MEP while gaining none, plus the national-conservative European Conservatives and Reformists would see a net loss of one MEP.
The left wing GUE/NGL group in Parliament said it had supported moves for Thunberg to address the plenary in Strasbourg this week, but says that the proposal was blocked by other groups, including the EPP, Alde, ECR, EFDD, and ENF.
The Greens/EFA nominated the German Ska Keller, the left-wing GUE/NGL the Spaniard Sira Rego, the Socialists & Democrats had the Italian David-Maria Sassoli, and the conservative SCR had the Czech Spitzenkandidat Jan Zahradil.
With the RE and the S&D claiming the support of the rest of the left-wing groups – the Greens and the GUE/NGL – against Weber, there is the smallest centre-left positive majority in the new Parliament (377 mandates).
Finally, with 38 seats, we arrive at the smallest group in Parliament; the European United Left/Nordic Green Left. This left-to-far-left group consists mainly of parties with socialist and sometimes even communist backgrounds.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)European Parliament group:The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL | |||||||||
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