The Foundation of the “United Left”

Slovenia
The Foundation of the “United Left”
18 Mar 14 Posted under: Central and Eastern Europe , Slovenia
After some months of intensive discussion on a common program, three parties of the Slovene alternative Left, the “Party for Sustainable Development” (TRS), the “Democratic Labor Party” (DSD) and the “Initiative for Democratic Socialism” (IDS), agreed to join forces and compete together as a coalition in the crucial forthcoming European elections.
The public founding meeting of the United Left (Združena Levica) was held on 1 March 2014, at the impressive concert hall of the Grand Hotel Union in Ljublana, which opened its doors in 1905.
The European Left Party was represented in the event by its Vice-President and candidate for the EU Commission Presidency, Alexis Tsipras, and the members of the EL Executive Board, Yiannis Bournous (SYRIZA) and Dominic Heilig (Die Linke).
Apart from their key-note speeches, Alexis Tsipras and Dominic Heilig were also invited by the leaders of the three Slovene co-founder parties to co-sign, on behalf of SYRIZA and Die Linke, the Founding Act of the United Left, a gesture which was enthusiastically applauded by the 500 participants.
The creation of the United Left did not come out of the blue. In contrast, the first meetings and discussions were held last year, during the unprecedented popular uprising against corruption and austerity, which took place in Slovenia for several months. After consecutive bilateral and multi-lateral meetings among the three constituent parties and activist groups, the creation of the United Left was announced in the beginning of February.
The new coalition will take part in the European elections under the banner of the European Left, while its components unanimously decided to support the candidacy of alexis Tsipras for the EU Commission Presidency.
23 years after the independence of Slovenia, the newly born Slovene Left “dares” to advocate, in its common Program, in favor of social transformation and democratic socialism, without being nostalgic of the “ghosts of the past”. This new experiment of unity and hope wishes to become a field of political convergence against the austerity plans and the extensive privatization programs that the neoliberal Slovene government is applying in full accordance with the IMF.

Click for Alexis Tsipras' speech on the right at Media.
Click for the video of the co-signing of the Founding Act of the United Left on the right at Media.