Joint Appeal for the Elections to the European Parliament

THE FUTURE AND HOPE IS WITH THE LEFT!  

STATEMENT BY ANDROS KYPRIANOU, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE C.C. OF AKEL 

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 12th April 2014, Nicosia

A Declaration of parties of the Left taking part in the European elections was recently drawn up and concluded. These are parties who support the Confederal character of the Political Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) in the European Parliament; the Group which consistently has voted against the policies of the ruling circles of the EU directed against the people and their interests; the Political Group which unreservedly supports the struggle of the Cypriot people for a solution and the reunification of our country; the Group which opposed, as AKEL did too, the Memorandum of March 2013 that imposed the haircut on bank deposits and severe austerity on the Cypriot people.

We welcome the willingness of the parties of the Left, to discuss and continue fighting together both on a political and social level. (The decisions taken by the Group of the Left are not binding on its members. This allows each Party separately to assess the need for joint action, but also the differences between the parties. This is in contrast with other European political formations, whose decisions are binding and which force their implementation even though a Party disagrees on a national level).

Eighteen parties have signed the Declaration, conveying a message of hope to the struggling peoples who are suffering from the decisions of the governments; suffering from implementation of the anti-peoples policies of the European Union and from the Memoranda impoverishing working people, the youth and low and middle income strata.

The message transmitted by the Declaration is that another alternative path is feasible: for a Europe of cooperation, social progress and peace; for a Europe where the peoples will have a decisive role and where decisions will not be taken by a centralized Directorate of powerful forces. The history of the European continent shows that the workers and peoples can, through their struggles, overcome the great dangers and bring progressive and revolutionary developments.

Today the peoples, including the Cypriot people, are feeling the consequences of a horrific attack on their living standards, wages and rights; on their pensions and social benefits/welfare. Unemployment is increasing dramatically, whilst as a substitute to it, precarious terms of employment are sometimes offered. Young people are being forced to emigrate. Public health and education, as well as funds for housing, are all under fierce attack. The poverty being perpetuated is leading to social exclusion. Immigrants are being treated as trapped potential criminals, who are not allowed to migrate to other EU states for work.

Democracy, national sovereignty, the right to economic and social development is being threatened by the “Memoranda of Understanding” of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF. In addition, exploitation is intensifying and colonial-character relationships are being imposed, whilst inequalities and states different growth rates are growing. All of these policies and developments are aimed at institutionalizing and perpetuating the process of the deepening of Economic and Monetary Union. These policies create the pre-conditions for the growth of reactionary nationalism, racism and xenophobia, the rise of the extreme-right and fascist forces that were defeated by the struggle of the peoples during the 20th century.

Another path for Europe is possible and to this we must all believe in if we will succeed in achieving this goal. This goal will be fulfilled through the struggle and solidarity that unites all those in every country and at the same time through working and struggling together in Europe and fighting for the transformation of their societies and for an alternative to barbaric capitalism.

We will intensify our struggle for:

1. Cooperation across Europe for the defence and promotion of social rights, the defence of public utility organisations and services, and the safeguarding of better living standards.

2. Cooperation across Europe for economic and social progress, with real convergence on the basis of safeguarding and promoting each country’s potential and the defence of the productive sectors.

3. Support to very small, small and medium enterprises; an end to the uncontrolled movement of capital and for the taxation of the movement of speculative capital; the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment.

4. A Europe of cooperation between sovereign states with equal rights; a Europe which respects and supports democracy; opposes all forms of discrimination; combats nationalism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, chauvinism and anti – communism; rejects repressive measures and respects rights, freedoms and democratic guarantees; respects the rights of migrants and minorities, cultural diversity and identity.

5. A Europe that ensures the rights of all citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation; a Europe without discriminations against women and which respects their rights.

6. A Europe that is struggling for peace and solidarity with all the peoples of the world; respects the Charter of the United Nations and International Law, and the right of peoples to self-determination; rejects the militarization of international relations, supports the termination of foreign interventions and attacks of the political – military alliances such as NATO; promotes mutually beneficial international cooperation on the basis of friendship, solidarity and a pan-European framework for a common security framework for all the peoples of Europe. For a Europe without nuclear weapons and foreign military bases.

Read also:

– The Joint Appeal for the Elections to the European Parliament (english)

– Κοινή Διακήρυξη για τις εκλογές του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου (greek)

– Llamamiento Conjunto para las Elecciones al Parliamento Europeo (spanish)

– Gemeinsamer Aufruf zu den Wahlen zum Europäischen Parlament (german)

– Apelo comum para as eleições para o Parlamento Europeu (portuguese)