The annual seminar of transform! europe and the Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation around strategic questions of the radical left in Europe.
The point of departure for our discussion is the need for an analysis of the current political and social developments, the left’s weakness and unclear programmatic proposals, especially those involving European integration. Our aim is to deepen our understanding of the specific obstacles to and the difficulties around the left’s transnational organisation and cooperation, and, to improve the capacity of our forces for political action. The first priority is to discuss and develop proposals for practical implementation right now. The cardinal challenge is how the European left can effectively intervene and promote a policy change in the face of the social, economic, and political consequences of the pandemic and the limited capacity, or better willingness, for action of the European Union.
The corona crisis accelerated global developments that were already underway. These developments are complex and highly contradictory. The digitalisation of labour, education, cultural expression, and human interaction in general is being pushed forward, creating new forms of subjectification. At the same time, exactly which activities and paid and unpaid work are really essential to our world and its reproduction became more visible than ever, although this recognition has not been resulted in a concrete improvement of material and working conditions.
Capitalism is launching a new war against people throughout the globe. Extreme price-gouging is occurring everywhere, which will make electricity, food, and essential goods unaffordable for millions of European citizens, with the working class suffering another round of harsh austerity, impoverishment, and insecurity. In addition, the Green Deal has so far amounted to nothing but a vague promise on behalf of the European institutions, which have not presented any plan for a genuine just transition that has labour at its core. The climate crisis combined with the new major transformations of labour could be a time bomb for the planet and the working classes.
European integration is undergoing its most serious crisis to date, with the EU unable to react and act as a collective subject. Instead of solidarity and unity, each country is on its own. Will the remains of the EU after the crisis be a completely decomposed entity competing with diverse and complex global powers? What would the role of the EU be in a world of authoritarian regimes? And is authoritarian capitalism destroying the EU or actually transforming it?
At what point would the left have to intervene? We seem to lack a united strategic response and are not able yet to set and project our own common agenda. What should the political left be and what will the principal features of this path be? Who could be our partners at present, and what possibilities exist for alliances? How can we build common projects at the European level? What would the radical left’s strategy be today to change the balance of powers and set an agenda that serves the interests of the working classes and defends peace, freedom, and security for the people as well as the preservation of the natural environment?
on-site and online via Zoom
Programme
(updated: 20/10/2021)
Monday, 25.10.2021
10.00 – 10.30 Welcome note
Angelina Giannopoulou, facilitator of transform! europe in the programme “European Integration and Left Strategy” (Greece)
Introduction: The ruins of the pandemic and a European Union without a compass
Walter Baier, Economist, Member of the Board of transform! europe (Austria)
10.30 – 12.30 Overview of the radical left parties in Europe
“Radical in Diversity. Europe’s Left 2010-2020”
Introduction to the recently published book (English: Merlin Press; German: VSA-Verlag) and focus on the left in Central and Eastern European countries
Cornelia Hildebrandt, Co-President of transform! europe, consultant of the Institute for Critical Social Analysis of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation (Germany)
The left parties in government
Danae Koltsida, Director of the Nicos Poulantzas Institute (Greece)
Commentator: Luis Ramirο, Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science of the National Distance Learning University-UNED (Spain)
Moderator: Tatiana Moutinho, facilitator of transform! europe in the programme “Cooperation Strategies for Southern Europe”
12.30 – 13.30 Break
13.30 – 14.00 Screening of the short film “Meeting the Left”
Presentation by Roberto Morea, facilitator of transform! europe in the “Commons”-programme (Italy)
14.00 – 15.00 Presentation of the study “Meeting the Left”
Angelina Giannopoulou, facilitator of transform! europe in the programme “European Integration and Left Strategy” (Greece)
Commentator:Yiannos Katsourides, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Nicosia (Cyprus)
15.00 – 15.30 Break
15.30 – 17.30 Presentation of the study by Espaces Marx “The question of ecology and the climate for the left”
Pablo Livigni, researcher and collaborator of Espaces Marx
Commentators:
- Eva Mildstred Enoksen, member of the leadership of the Red-Green Alliance in Copenhagen (Denmark)
- Steffen Lehndorff, research fellow at the Institute “Arbeit und Qualifikation” at the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany)
- Pawel Jaworski, collaborator at the think-tank Naprzód (Poland)
Moderator: Barbara Steiner, director of transform! europe
17.30 – 18.30 Discussion
Tuesday, 26.10.2021
10.00 – 12.00 Democracy, democratic rights, and the rule of law: Authoritarian phases in European countries
Eszter Bartha, Marie Curie Research Fellow at Hannah Arendt Institute for Totalitarianism Studies, Technical University of Dresden (Hungary)
Tina Tomšič, Programme Committee of Inštitut 8. marec (Slovenia)
René Jokisch, Advisor on European Affairs, Parliamentary Group DIE LINKE in the Bundestag (Germany)
Ugo Paletha, sociologist, associate professor at Université de Lille and co-director of the review Contretemps (France)
Moderator: Gavin Rae, sociologist and a founding member of the think-tank Naprzód (Poland)
12.00 – 12.30 Break
12.30 – 14.30 Labour: The Great Transformation
Sarah de Heusch, Public Affairs Officer for the General Management and Development Unit of Smart Cooperative (Belgium)
Leïla Chaibi, Member of the European Parliment for La France Insoumise (France)
Matteo Gaddi, Member of Board of Punto Rosso Cultural Association and of the Scientific Committee of Claudio Sabbattini Foundation (Italy)
Moderator: Marga Ferré, Co-President of transform! europe and President of the Europe of Citizens Foundation (Fundación por la Europa de los Ciudadanos, FEC, Spain)
14.30 – 15.30 Break
15.30 – 17.30 Round-table discussions
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European organising of the radical left
Heinz Bierbaum, President of the Party of the European Left
tbc, The Left in the European Parliament (formerly GUE/NGL)
Vincenzo Colaprice, Spokesperson of the European Left Youth Network and Head of the international department of Young Communists (Giovani Comunisti/e)
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The left in government: Insights from Spain and Finland
Dan Koivulaakso, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education (Finland)
Marga Ferré, Co-President of transform! europe and President of the Europe of Citizens Foundation (Fundación por la Europa de los Ciudadanos, FEC, Spain)
Moderator: Cornelia Hildebrandt, Co-President of transform! europe, consultant of the Institute for Critical Social Analysis of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation (Germany)
17.30 – 18.00 Break