Party of the European Left (EUL-NGL): basis for continental left unity?

[Die Neue Zeit]

In the European Parliament, the left grouping there is the Party of the European Left (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_United_Left%E2%80%93Nordic_Green_Left) (formally the European United Left-Nordic Green Left). Chaired by Lothar Bisky from Germany, this organization is comprised of mainly reformist organizations, even if it is officially agnostic on the question of "reform or revolution":

Germany: Die Linke
France: Left Front (Parti communiste français and Parti de gauche)
Greece: Communist Party of Greece and Synaspismos
Ireland: Socialist Party

Note that last one, which is very important. The Irish Socialist Party is the Trotskyist CWI's presence in Ireland!

Because this "party" is decentralized to the national level, can this "party" be the basis of continental left unity?

[Coggeh]

In the European Parliament, the left grouping there is the Party of the European Left (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_United_Left%E2%80%93Nordic_Green_Left) (formally the European United Left-Nordic Green Left). Chaired by Lothar Bisky from Germany, this organization is comprised of mainly reformist organizations, even if it is officially agnostic on the question of "reform or revolution":

Germany: Die Linke
France: Left Front (Parti communiste français and Parti de gauche)
Greece: Communist Party of Greece and Synaspismos
Ireland: Socialist Party

Note that last one, which is very important. The Irish Socialist Party is the Trotskyist CWI's presence in Ireland!

Because this "party" is decentralized to the national level, can this "party" be the basis of continental left unity?
The NGL is a good orgnaisation in the EU which for example opposed lisbon based on workers rights and other progressive arguments but most of the orgnaisations are reformist centre left which pose no threat politically to the capitalist organisation of the EU .

The reason the CWI joined the NGL is because they are the only leftist (albeit very broad) orgnaisation of parties in the EU parliement . We do this on the basis of unity but many of the parties which were/are involved in NGL such as Sinn fein before the last elections(they lost their seat in Dublin) who are now an anti working class party (imposing cuts ,taxes,and expenses on working class families in N.Ireland) are an example of the other organisations i speak of .

[Q]

Like I wrote somewhere else:

You have to to understand that the EUL-NGL is merely (as far as I know) a coalition in Euro-parliament and since Joe Higgins got chosen for the Irish SP last June, it was decided to join that coalition. It has to be seen in purely this context, which doesn't apply to the UK or any other CWI section thus far.

To point out how loose of a coalition the EUL-NGL really is, I'll point out the irony of the fact that while we've been expelled from the Dutch socialist party (over "double party membership" between SP and Offensief, Dutch CWI), the Dutch SP is also part of this EUL-NGL and has no problems with the Irish comrades!

In short, the EUL-NGL is not a European party, just a paper reality in Brussels.

[FSL]

Correction: Communist party of Greece isn't a member but an observer (mainly because a decent choise is unavailable for the time being).


Regarding the actual subject, I find that the party of european left does an excellent job in uniting all reformist parties of the continent.

[Wanted Man]

Maybe it can be a basis for "unity" of the left that is not interested in lofty concepts like socialism, revolution, class struggle, or whatever. For communists, it's quite different. It seems that the PEL is mostly interested in working within the constructs of the EU to improve capitalism, to make the system "better". It's a kind of reformism that doesn't even want to "reform" towards a socialist society, partly because it has no clear vision of what that means.

It's no wonder that most of the parties affiliated with it are either old eurocommunists, or new "multi-tendency left" parties. The latter meaning opportunists like the Dutch SP (although they recently purged the only other active "tendency" in their party, the CWI :D) as well as all the different left blocs. As Q said, it's a striking kind of opportunism that these people do find it within themselves to cooperate on the European level somehow.

The Hungarian communist party left the PEL earlier this year, and have made a summary of their reasons for this: http://inter.kke.gr/News/2009news/2009-04-hungarian

By the way, the Party of the European Left is not the same thing as the GUE/NGL EU parliament group, from what I can see. It's a bit confusing, mind.

[zubovskyblvd]

There's also another organisation called the European Anticapitalist Left, I always thought that it leant more towards revolution than reformism (although looking at some of the parties that are members, I don't feel so sure). There is also some crossover between membership of the EAL and EUL-NGL. Thought I'd just highlight it for interested comrades.
edit: I would post a link to more information, but it seems I can't do that yet! But you can find more info via wikipedia

[Die Neue Zeit]

The EACL is an on-again-off-again fan club for the NPA in France.