After the European elections : statement by Ensemble, member of the Left Front in France

By Ensemble - Mouvement pour une alternative de gauche, écologiste et solidaire (member of the Left Front - France) 

For a left alternative now !

The result of the May 25th European elections reflects the disarray and the anger caused by the policies of austerity and social regression organised in France and the rest of Europe by right-wing and so-called left wing ('social-liberal') pro-market parties.

The ruling French Socialist Party suffered yet another crushing defeat (after the local elections in April), obtaining less than 15% of the votes. In addition, voter turnout was low (43% nationally, but as low as 25% in some areas) and the far right vote grew massively (25% for the Front National of Marine Le Pen, well ahead of its conservative rival, the UMP).

President Hollande and Prime Minister Valls do not have any legitimacy to pursue the same policies !

Yet despite being disavowed by the popular vote, with no majority even amongst left-wing voters, they have no intention of changing course.

Carrying on with the 'pact of responsibility' (a policy of reducing charges for employers in exchange for a meaningless promise to create jobs) means more austerity for the majority of the population, a 35-billion euro cut in employers' contributions, a 50-billion cut in government spending, a freeze on social benefits, increasing prescription charges and closing hospital services.

Accepting the Transatlantic Free Trade Area (TAFTA) agreement, after the 2012 European Fiscal Compact or austerity treaty, means accepting complete deregulation of social and environmental norms, replacing them by a single standard - that of free trade - and a single power - that of the multinational companies.

This rush to neoliberal and austerity policies takes away people's hope and contributes to the rise of the far right. To stop them, all popular movements and all those who have not given up on genuinely left-wing policies must commit themselves to a united, social, citizens' and people's mobilisation.

Rescind the 'pact of responsibility", suspend the TAFTA negotiations, introduce public control and social appropriation of key businesses like Alsthom (the major French energy and transport company), increase wages and the income of the majority - these are demands which can form the basis for rebuilding a left-wing alternative capable of successfully challenging the recourse to individual solutions, nationalism, racism and authoritarianism.

Taking a European perspective, the anti-austerity left has made gains. In Greece, Syriza, with Alexis Tsipras, is now the most popular party, with 28% of the votes.

The Left Front (Front de Gauche) in France must work towards recreating a perspective of social and ecological transformation. It must transform itself in order to encourage the involvement of citizens and the broadest possible unity. It must work towards a new left alliance capable of constituting an alternative majority, and open to all those who, in the social movements, Europe Ecologie-Les Verts (the 'greens'), the Socialist Party, the far-left New Anticapitalist Party, Nouvelle Donne ('New Deal', a new left-wing party originally made up by former members of the Socialist Party) and others, reject the direction taken by the government.

To rebuild a social, ecological and democratic alternative to stop the rise of the far right and recreate hope for the future - this is the task of the hour !

Paris, 27 May 2014

Translation by Colin Falconer
93200 Saint-Denis