Athens Declaration of the 1st Congress of the European Left Party in Athens, 2005

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The Athens Declaration of the European Left was the conclusion of the 1st Congress of the European Left Party (Athens, 29-30 October 2005).

[edit] The text of the Declaration

We, the European Left, gathered in Athens on the 29th and 30th October, 2005... Having acknowledged that the crisis, which crosses Europe has no borders, but has responsibles: the neo-liberal policies decided in Brussels and the ones decided by the national governments. These choices have been made year after year, and the outcome is in front of our eyes, now. We also acknowledge that the peoples who have been the victims are also the ones that fight and look for alternatives. Europe needs to be refounded on the basis of peace, democracy and on the full respect for social and human rights. This is our commitment and our hope: the European citizens must take their destinies in their own hands. This action and solidarity declaration is also an appeal to the convergence of all movements and left political forces, who strive to reverse the priorities and to change the policies that have been followed till now. The European Left and its member parties are committed to fight together with social movements, trade unions, political left forces for another Europe, which is possible. In this context, we fully support all European mobilizations and initiatives against neoliberalism and war, particularly the 4th European Social Forum to be held in Athens. We are committed to eradicate the tragedy of both unemployment and employment precariousness. We are committed to fight against social exclusion and the support of employment programs, for new jobs and reduction of working time and for the conversion of precarious employment into steady and decently remunerated jobs. Therefore the European Left will develop an own set of proposals. We stand for all the policies that fight and strive for stopping job cuts and also condemn fraudulent bankruptcies and delocalisations. We believe it is essential to preserve and rebuild social welfare systems (including public pensions) and to take life-long learning as a priority. We demand a new model of production, distribution and consumption. We fight for the immediate withdrawal of Bolkestein Directive and the GATS (General Agreement on Trade and Services). The deregulation of employment in Europe and the social dumping in the developing countries are the heads and crowns of the same coin. Both give exclusively benefits to the multinationals, increasing the competition among the employees and affecting women. A specific program is necessary to establish a new relation between productive and reproductive work, equal wages to overcome the sexual division of work. Instead of delocalisation we propose the improvement of time and working conditions, the fulfillment of environmental conditions on production, and the empowerment of the welfare and wage systems. A fundamental prerequisite is more transparency and the improvement of democracy and new worker's power in working place. It is through the defense of rights and not against them that we can achieve a fair world.

For a different EU monetary policy and the withdrawal of the Stability Pact... We insist on an urgent reorientation of the budget and monetary policies of the EU. The European Central Bank democratically controlled should be placed at the service of employment and of a development which should be free of the financial markets' demands, with particular attention to the less developed EU regions. We demand the end of Stability Pact, in favour of social policies at European level. We promote the strengthening of public services in local, regional, national and European levels. Against privatizations and neo-liberal directives that promote the commodification of common goods, like water, energy, culture, education and health care. Basic services cannot be regulated by profit and have to be regulated by quality levels demanded by the population.

Against migration policies oriented to police and antiterrorist measures... We oppose to migration policies oriented to police or anti-terrorist fights. The recent Lampedusa, Amsterdam and Melilla events, the situation of hundred of so-called boat people in Italy and Greece and the unbearable conditions of the migrant detention centres, reveal the cruelty and the Fortress Europe bankruptcy. A new policy based on respect of human dignity, equal labour rights, as they are an essential part of the workers' movement in Europe, has to be built on the legalization of all migrants and demands a strategic support to development.

For a Europe of Peace free from the NATO military structure... We stand for a world without war and we demand aEuropean Peace policy against the military logic of the superpowers' warfare. We fight for the development of all European cooperation and solidarity to promote peace. Europe does not need an aggressive alliance which disrupt and challenge the role of the UN to secure peace and to establish peaceful relations with all countries of the world. We call on the European peoples to demand the European countries to give up their membership in the NATO military structure, and the abolition of all NATO and US military bases. NATO, in its present form is unacceptable and the demand for its abolition is highly necessary. Disarmament has to become the main issue on a Europe based on peace. The European Left demands a reduction of national military expenditure. Europe has to be a continent free from weapons of mass destruction. All European armies must withdraw from Iraq immediately. The peace movement cannot slow down its actions. We are full committed with its objectives, namely the mobilization of public opinion to the solidarity towards the Palestinian people and the Israeli pacifist forces. There will be no peace in the region without a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the UN resolutions. This must be the European priority within the framework of the quartet responsible for the "road map" as well as the destruction of the wall and the immediate withdrawal of the occupied territories.

We oppose the authoritarian offensive against civil liberties, social, labour and democratic rights... The extraordinary legislation that is being approved by the governments is an offensive against individual and collective rights, a result of a long democratic struggles. We will fight to stop this dangerous trend, for no security can be built against freedom and democracy.

Yes, we can change Europe!

We, the European Left, are frilly committed to this challenge. Our perspective is peaceful, socialist, ecological and radically democratic. Our perspective is also a feminist perspective, for gender equality and democracy in all life domains is far from being real. Our perspective recognises diversity on individual life options. Our perspective is internationalist and opens Europe to the world and promotes cultural exchanges, cooperation and new solidarity. Our perspective considers the Mediterranean a fundamental space for peace. Change is a necessity. There is a deep gap between citizens and political elites. The victory of the "No" against the Constitutional Treaty expresses the degree of this fracture. The majority of the population is not against Europe. The majority voted against the liberal and arrogant policies that have set the crisis on an everyday basis. Today, the treaty is politically dead. This is the basis for an enlarged debate on the present and so that Europe's future can have a new prosperity. We will participate in a broad citizens' movement which will strive for a manifesto or a charter of the social and political rights which is fitting to the Europe we want.

Yes, we can change Europe!

[edit] Acknowledgements

The parties signing the declaration are the following:

• Austria - Communist Party (KPO)
• Belgium - Communist Party (CPB)
• Czech Republic - Party of Democratic Socialism (SDS)
• Estonia - Left Party (ELP)
• France - Communist Party (PCF)
• Germany - Left Party/PDS
• Greece - Coalition of the Left, of Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos/SYN)
• Hungary - Workers Party
• Italy - Communist Refoundation
• Luxemburg - The Left (Dei Lenk)
• Portugal - Left Bloc (BE)
• Romania - Socialist Alliance Party (SAP)
• San Marino - Communist Refoundation
• Spain - United Left, Communist Party, United and Alternative Left of Catalunya (IUeA)
• Switzerland - Party of Labour

[edit] Text information

• Source: http://www.european-left.org/press/pressreleases/pr/pressrelease.2005-11-23.8395199335
• Public domain rationale: [1]. It states "European Left. Copyleft"

[edit] Licensing

This work is in the public domain worldwide because it has been so released by the copyright holder.