Left Peace Conference | Search for the Peace Formula

There are many reasons these days to talk about peace and collective security: the NATO arms buildup summit at the end of June, the UN conference to revive the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict next week, the signing of the CSCE Final Act in Helsinki 50 years ago. And, of course, the 80th anniversary of the liberation from Hitler's fascism on May 8th.

The Left Group in the European Parliament has taken up the latter, choosing the motto "Building Peace and Collective Security" for its two-day conference this week. Eighty years after the end of the Second World War, it is time to reflect on the lessons of history and the challenges of the present, explained the members of parliament from 20 left-wing parties from various EU countries, who are united in The Left, in their initiative. The aim of the meeting in Brussels was to "create a space for intensive exchange on peace, disarmament, and collective security in order to pave the way to a more stable and cooperative future."

The Left mobilized not only parliamentarians but also political luminaries such as former British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Alexis Tsipras, who headed the Greek government from 2015 to 2019. Eight decades after the liberation from fascism, the far right is returning to Europe, declared the long-time Syriza leader. This is happening not least in governments and EU decision-making bodies. The far right is exploiting the insecurities and fears in societies resulting from the various upheavals for their own purposes. "It is the task of all progressive and left-wing forces to stand up and meet fear with hope," Tsipras appealed. In view of the various international crises, a fairer economic order is needed, as is a new security order based on respect for international law. However, there can be no new international security order if Europe is not a force for peace and sustainable growth. In practice, this means, among other things, that Europe's left must oppose a war economy that is at the expense of cohesion funds and is leading ever further into a new cold war.

Walter Baier, President of the Party of the European Left (EL), one of the two "umbrella organizations" of European left-wing parties, also addressed this issue in his presentation. He argued that Europe and the world are currently in the most dangerous situation since the end of the Second World War. Given the lack of political approaches to ending the war in Ukraine, the sword of Damocles of uncontrollable escalation hangs over Europe. In this situation, NATO and the EU cannot shirk their responsibility to contribute to a swift, non-military end to the war. "Likewise, they must not turn a blind eye when it comes to the genocide in Gaza." In this context, the EL President pointed to the duplicity of European leaders. On the one hand, sanctions are rightly imposed on Russia for its war of aggression in Ukraine, while on the other, they allow Israel to remain completely unpunished despite its war in the Gaza Strip.

Baier explicitly pointed out that the EU member states and Great Britain spend more money on defense than Russia. While the EU Commission provides enormous funds for armaments, this money is particularly lacking for public services, healthcare, and the pension system.

Against this backdrop , former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn initiated the Peace & Justice Project, which he reported on in Brussels. The project brings together key areas such as environmental protection, international peace cooperation, and the fight against poverty and social inequality. Corbyn announced that the initiative would hold an international conference in the UK in September.

In this context, Özlem Demirel, a member of the European Parliament for the Left Party, also emphasized the importance of the international StopReArmEurope campaign to "nd." This movement connects various political forces and initiatives to halt the EU's arms buildup. "It is important that we mobilize against the arms buildup across Europe. If Commission President von der Leyen allocates €800 million, if not €1,000 million, for the armament of member states, then that is insane and will not make the world any safer," she said in an interview with "nd."

In her contribution to the conference, Demirel highlighted one aspect that was particularly important to her: German Hitler fascism was the darkest chapter in human history, the MP emphasized. Not only were six million Jews industrially murdered, but also Sinti and Roma, homosexuals, people with disabilities, dissidents, people of different faiths, and people living differently. "At that time, conservative forces in Germany handed over power to Hitler," Demirel emphasized. "And it is unacceptable to me how the European Parliament is also trying to blame the Soviet Union for World War II." The Left Party politician clearly condemned Putin's war against Ukraine, but harshly criticized the exclusion of Russian representatives from the end-of-war celebrations in Germany . Because: "It was the Red Army that initiated and advanced the victory over Hitler fascism."