8th Congress – Brussels 2026
A moment for the European Left to renew, shape its future, and engage people across Europe.
Why this Congress matters?
Europe is at a crossroads. We believe Europe can choose another path.
Our Congress gathers the European Left and our partners from across the continent to say clearly: peace and social justice must come before militarisation and profit. We reject the politics that divide societies, fuel fear, and strengthen the far right. Instead, we stand for cooperation, solidarity, and democratic change.
This Congress is about renewal and collective action. Across Europe, workers, women, young people, trade unions, and social movements are already fighting for dignity, climate justice, and peace.
Together we can turn these struggles into a shared European project.
WIN THE FUTURE. FIGHT AUSTERITY. STOP MILITARISATION!
A different future is possible — and we are here to win it.
–Walter BAIER, President of the European Left–
European Left 2026 Congress: Highlights
From key debates to defining moments, the European Left Congress 2026 in Brussels brought together voices from across Europe to shape a common vision for the future. Watch the highlights and explore the ideas and priorities driving the work ahead.
What we stand for
Peace and Demilitarisation
Peace is the foundation of security. We oppose the arms race, the militarisation of European politics, and the idea that war economies can solve social crises. Europe must invest in diplomacy, cooperation, and human security — not weapons, confrontation, and fear.
Social Justice and Workers’ Power
We fight austerity because it transfers wealth from workers to corporations. Europe needs strong public services, fair wages, secure pensions, and democratic economic governance. Wealth must be redistributed so that prosperity is shared and people can live with dignity.
Democracy, Equality and Feminist Politics
Democracy means real power for people. We defend fundamental rights and resist authoritarianism, racism, and the far right wherever they appear. Feminist politics challenge inequality and violence while strengthening participation, equality, and solidarity across Europe.
Winning the Future — Youth, Climate and Transformation
Europe’s future belongs to the new generation rising across the continent. We fight for a just climate transition, democratic control of technology, and an economy based on care, sustainability, and solidarity. Young people must help shape the Europe they will inherit.
Political Document
Europe must move away from austerity, militarisation, and corporate power, and toward democracy, peace, and social justice.
We fight for an economy that serves people, a society built on equality and solidarity, and a future shaped by ecological responsibility and democratic participation.
…FR version coming soon
10 lines on Renewal
1. We renew our commitment to democratic socialism and international solidarity.
2. We strengthen cooperation between parties, trade unions, and social movements.
3. We bring a new generation of activists into leadership and decision-making.
4. We build feminist, anti-racist, and ecological politics at the heart of our work.
5. We organise across borders to challenge austerity and militarisation.
6. We defend democracy against authoritarianism and the far right.
7. We support workers’ struggles for dignity, wages, and control over their work.
8. We develop collective leadership and stronger European coordination.
9. We open our party to broader progressive alliances.
10. We renew the European Left as a force capable of winning the future.
renewal commission document
Statutes
motions ADOPTED
- LET’S GET INTO ACTION
- JUSTICE AND FREEDOM FOR PALESTINE
- A CALL FOR IMMEDIATE RESUMPTION OF SUBSTANTIVE NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM
- PROPOSAL OF A COMPREHENSIVE PEACE PLAN FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN AND MIDDLE EAST
- AGAINST THE TRUMP -NETANYAHU WARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
- HOUSING AS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT – A EUROPEAN STRATEGY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
- TAKING CONTROL OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY IN THE INTEREST OF WORKERS
- FOR A DEMOCRATIC DIGITAL FUTURE
- THE EUROPEAN LEFT MUST BECOME A FEMINIST EUROPEAN PARTY IN PRACTICE
- 2026 AND BEYOND: OUR FEMINIST AGENDA
- IN DEFENCE OF CUBA AND AGAINST THE BLOCKADE IMPOSED BY THE USA
- STAND UP TO TRUMP. GREENLAND HAS THE RIGHT TO SELF -DETERMINATION AND THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE ITS OWN FUTURE.
- END PRECARISATION — FOR REGULARISATION, FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL MIGRANT WORKERS
- DEFENDING THE RIGHT TO ASYLUM AND HUMAN RIGHTS — AGAINST THE AUTHORITARIAN TRANSFORMATION OF EUROPE
- EUROPEAN LEFT AGAINST REMIGRATION
- JOINT VISIT OF THE EUROPEAN LEFT (EL) AND ITS YOUTH NETWORK (ELYN) TO AUSCHWITZ -BIRKENAU MEMORIAL SITE
- FROM REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY TO POPULAR POWER
INTERNAL AUDIT REPORT
Faces of the Congress
The Congress is a defining democratic moment. Meet the elected president and members of the political secretariat—our collective leadership team—and discover their profiles, experience, and ideas.
- presidenT
- Political SECRETARIAT
Walter Baier
President
Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ), Austria
Walter Baier
President
Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ), Austria
Political profile
Walter Baier, an economist based in Vienna, was elected President of the European Left (EL) in December 2022. He served as National Chairman of the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) from 1994 to 2006 and was an editor of the Austrian weekly Volksstimme. From 2007 to 2022, he was Coordinator of transform! europe, a network of 38 organizations from 22 European countries and the recognized political foundation of the Party of the European Left.
Olga Athaniti
Member
Néa Aristerá, Greece
Olga Athaniti
Member
Néa Aristerá, Greece
Political Profile
Member of the EL Executive Board. Peace, culture, and environmental activist. Former member of the EL Culture Working Group, coordinator of the EL Migration Working Group. Presented relevant topics at many international events.
Hélène Bidard
Vice-President
Parti Communiste Français, France
Hélène Bidard
Vice-President
Parti Communiste Français, France
Political Profile
Member of the Secretariat and Executive Board of the European Left, feminist and activist in the peace movement and against militarisation. Head of Foreign Affairs at the National Secretariat of the Communist Refoundation Party, Italy.
Anna Camposampiero
Member
Partito della Rifondazione Comunista, Italy
Anna Camposampiero
Member
Partito della Rifondazione Comunista, Italy
Political Profile
Member of the Secretariat and Executive Board of the European Left, feminist and activist in the peace movement and against militarisation. Head of Foreign Affairs at the National Secretariat of the Communist Refoundation Party, Italy.
Markéta Juřicová
Member
Levice, Czech Republic
Markéta Juřicová
Member
Levice, Czech Republic
Political Profile
Member of the European Left Executive Board. Co-chair of Levice (CZ). Active in the antifascist and anti-war movement. Advocate for solidarity against rising austerity and authoritarianism in Central and Eastern Europe.
Willy Meyer
Member
Izquirda Unida, Spain
Willy Meyer
Member
Izquirda Unida, Spain
Political Profile
Political scientist (UNED, Complutense). Former PCE/IU leader, jailed and exiled under Franco. Served in the Spanish Congress (1996–2000) and the European Parliament (2004–2014). Activist on historical memory and global security.
Marta Martin Moràn
Vice-President
Partido Comunista de España, Spain
Marta Martin Moràn
Vice-President
Partido Comunista de España, Spain
Political Profile
Member of the Party of the European Left. Firm commitment to the internationalist cause. Area of work: International Relations and Cooperation, as well as the development of local governments.
David Pestieau
Vice-President
Parti du Travail de Belgique (PVDA – PTB), Belgium
David Pestieau
Vice-President
Parti du Travail de Belgique (PVDA – PTB), Belgium
Political Profile
Political Director of PVDA-PTB and member of its Executive Committee. David is from Brussels and the author of We Are One: A Manifesto for the Unity of Belgium. He is also in charge of the party’s Education and Training Department.
Helmut Scholz
Member
Die Linke, Germany
Helmut Scholz
Member
Die Linke, Germany
Political Profile
Member of the EL Executive Board. Active in the founding of EL (2001–2004) and subsequent developments. Member of the European Parliament (2009–2024). Experienced in international relations, trade, democracy and citizen involvement, enlargement, and social-ecological transition.
Valentina Škafar
Member
Levica, Slovenia
Valentina Škafar
Member
Levica, Slovenia
Political Profile
International Coordinator of Levica, member of the EL Executive Board and Political Secretariat, and former European Parliament adviser. Focused on international solidarity, democratic participation, and AI policy.
Rania Svigkou
Member
SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance, Greece
Rania Svigkou
Member
SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance, Greece
Political Profile
Head of International and European Affairs of SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance. Active in international solidarity and feminist movements. Advocate for cooperation among left, green, and progressive forces.
Attila Vajnai
Member
Magyarországi Munkáspárt 2006, Hungary
Attila Vajnai
Member
Magyarországi Munkáspárt 2006, Hungary
Political Profile
Member of the European Left Executive Board and Political Secretariat. Active in the coordination and organization of antifascist events in Hungary. Founding member of EL in 2004 in Rome. Chairperson of the Workers’ Party of Hungary since 2006.
Max Zirngast
Member
Kommunistische Partei Österreichs, Austria
Max Zirngast
Member
Kommunistische Partei Österreichs, Austria
Political Profile
Member of the Executive Board of KPÖ. Municipal councillor in St. Pölten and responsible for KPÖ in Lower Austria. Spent several years in Turkey and worked as a journalist covering the Middle East, among other issues.
Jiří Hudeček
Treasurer
Levice, Czech Republic
Jiří Hudeček
Treasurer
Levice, Czech Republic
Political Profile
Member of the EL Executive Board (2004–2022), EL Treasurer since 2023, and former coordinator of the Commission on Statute. Founding member of Levice. Biochemist and university professor. Active in academia, trade unions, and public institutions.
European Left explained
What does the European Left stand for today? Discover our vision, our struggles, and our commitment to a different Europe.
Discover how the European Left unites over 40 parties across Europe around shared values like justice, peace, equality, and sustainability.
Learn what the European Left Party does, how it differs from parliamentary groups, and how it coordinates campaigns across Europe.
Explore how wars are driven by profit, why people have power to stop them, and why peace must be prioritised.
APRIL 18, BRUSSELS (16:30 – 19:30CET)
public event
“Win the Future – Fight Austerity – Stop Militarisation“
The public event gathered progressive voices from across Europe and beyond to discuss key challenges and build a shared vision for social justice, workers’ rights, and demilitarisation.
Missed the livestream?
Watch the full recording via the button below.
Information for delegates
We are committed to providing open information about the Congress across this website. To support the smooth organisation of the Congress, this section is reserved for delegates and is accessible with login credentials. It contains practical information, internal documents, and organisational guidelines.
…This section is now closed. It was accessible only during the event period for registered congress delegates…
Press & Media
contact information
Runa SANNA, Communication Coordinator
EL CONGRESS 2026 in pictures & Videos.
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