Fight austerity and poverty: The Left’s proposal for social justice

 

4 February 2026, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

As part of the “Study Days” organized by the Left Group in the European Parliament, the critical issue of social justice in the face of ongoing austerity was discussed at length, with particular emphasis on policies to reduce the cost of living, the housing crisis, and ensuring the right to housing for all.

The discussions were chaired by SYRIZA MEP and Vice-President of the Left Group Kostas Arvanitis, who in his welcoming speech emphasized that the proceedings were taking place in the only EU member state with barbed wires diving the country. He noted that Europe is experiencing the deepest crisis of the capitalist system, with serious social and political consequences for the peoples.

In his introductory remarks, the General Secretary of AKEL Stefanos Stefanou said that while the wealth produced is increasing, the poor are multiplying. Despite the recording of positive macroeconomic indicators, millions of people in Europe are living at or below the poverty line. As he pointed out, this reality is a direct result of the European Union’s policies, which have shifted the cost of the crises onto working people and societies through austerity. The dilemma for the peoples, he stressed, is clear: Social Justice versus austerity, with growth and prosperity for all.

The General Secretary of the Pancyprian Federation of Labour (PEO) and member of the Central Secretariat of AKEL, Sotiroula Charalambous, referred to the need to extend collective agreements, the importance of the Automatic Cost of Living Allowance for protecting the purchasing power of wages, the minimum wage, and to recent court decisions affecting labour rights. She stressed that, despite so-called economic growth, neoliberalism increases employers’ profits at the expense of working people, underlining the state’s obligation to actively support workers’ rights.

MEP Estrella Galán from Spain presented the experience of the Left’s participation in a coalition government, proving that it is possible to combine growth and social progress. MEP Özlem Demirel from Germany denounced the militarization of the EU, pointing out that armaments lead to the imposition of cuts in social spending and labour rights.

In the face of this course of developments, the Left must defend the welfare state and peace.

Wealth is increasing, but the poor are multiplying.

The answer lies is in the waging of collective class and political struggles.

04.02.2026