»We refer to the values and traditions of socialism, communism and the labour movement, of feminism, the feminist movement and gender equality, of the environmental movement and sustainable development, of peace and international solidarity, of human rights, humanism and antifascism, of progressive and liberal thinking, both nationally and internationally.«
- Manifesto of the Party of the European Left, 2004 -
The Party of the European Left is a political party at the European level which was formed in 2004. Member and observer parties of the EL are socialist, communist, red-green and other democratic left parties. Their basic principles and political aims are laid down in the EL Manifesto from 2004. Membership to the EL is open to any left party and political organization in Europe that agrees with the EL Manifesto and accepts the EL statutes.
The EL aims to:
- contribute to common political action of the democratic and alternative Left in EU member states as well as on the European level
- promote the social, emancipatory, ecological, peace-loving as well as democratic and progressive thinking and acting of the parties, their members and sympathisers, and therefore to reinforce the parties’ actions to develop emancipatory, democratic, peace, social, ecological and sustainable policies which is essential to transform the societies and to overcome today’s capitalism;
- use democratic forms to struggle for overcoming contemporary capitalist relations;
- consolidate the co-operation of the parties and political organisations at all levels;
- promote the confrontation of their analyses and the co-ordination of their orientations at the European level;
- co-operate with other political organisations at European level pursuing similar targets;
- promote a “European public relations work” that actively supports the development of a European identity according to our values and aims;
- co-operate in the preparation of the European elections and in referenda in the European scale;
li>initiate, prepare and support Europe-wide initiatives of the EL and its parties – together with other parties, party-networks and NGOs;
- all decisions concerning choices and attitudes of EL member parties or political organizations in their own countries remain strictly under the sovereignty of national parties.
The EL supports fully gender equality in all areas of daily life. Feminism, gender-mainstreaming and gender-democracy are basic principles for the functioning and development of the EL.
