European Meeting "Europe for the People" in Brussels: a success

Introduced by European Parliament Member Marc Botenga of the PVDA-PTB, a full house heard speeches on the fight against austerity, for peace, and for a just climate transition. Attendees were able to exchange ideas with party leaders – there were delegations from over 25 left-wing parties in the room – trade-unionists, and activists from all over Europe, from Cyprus to Great Britain, from Spain to Ireland, from Slovenia to Austria.

The powerful words of Palestinian academic and activist Maha Abdallah during the discussion on Palestine still resonate: "The EU must stop its hypocrisy. Genocide is genocide. It must be recognized as such and called by its name."

Jeremy Corbyn explained that real security is not based on military power, let alone nuclear weapons: "Real security is not the ability to kill each other. It is food, water, a clean environment, health, and housing for all."

Pernando Barrena of the Basque party EH Bildu expressed the need for the European left to clearly oppose militarism and war drums and not allow NATO to dictate the European Union's foreign policy.

The exchange between Tea Jarc, confederal secretary of the ETUC, and Lynn Boylan of the Irish Sinn Féin on the climate crisis underscored the importance of starting from the living and working conditions of the working class, their challenges and concerns if we want to find real, sustainable, and just solutions.

After the closing remarks by Walter Baier, president of the PEL, delegations, speakers and participants were able to gather for informal exchanges, to forge connections, and to discuss future collaborations aimed at promoting and developing a Europe entirely different from the current European Union. A Europe for the people, a Europe of solidarity.