European Elections represent a step forward for Europe's Left - Zminijietna

Reacting to the European election results, Zminijietna - Voice of the Left emphasised that on a European level, leftwing and progressive forces increased the number of seats in the European Parliament. Zminijietna said that this is a welcome step forward in the struggle against austerity and inequality.

"The Left group (GUE/NGL) experienced an impressive increase of EP seats from 34 to 51, the Social Democratic group increased its representation to 186 seats - remaining the second largest group - and the Greens won 55 seats. Even though this does not translate into a parliamentary majority, other groups are fragmented, and the call for a Social Europe has gained strength".

"In particular we note the impressive result of Syriza, which became the biggest political party in Greece, as well as the impact of Alexis Tsipras in the call for another, Social Europe. Various countries also experiences positive results for the Left, including other Southern European member states such as Italy, Spain and Portugal".

"In Malta, Labour consolidated its position, and a record number of women were elected in the European Parliament. At the same time, it is evident that there was no consistent left-wing voice contesting the elections. Issues such as class inequality, anti-imperialism, climate change and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and the USA were sidelined in the electoral campaign".

"We call for leftist and progressive forces - both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary - to work closer together against the neo-liberal wave and against far right and populist right forces, which achieved positive results in countries such as France and Britain"

Press Release 5/6/14