Against the far right

The European Left stands together united with all those committed to creating a different society where there is no space for fascism in any of its forms:

a society of equality, justice, and peace.

We recognise that there are huge new challenges to achieving this goal. The war in Ukraine has created a new and uniquely dangerous situation, altering the political balance in Europe, and accelerating its militarisation, which will have a profoundly negative impact on our societies. The far-right is feeding off nationalism, generated by warmongers on all sides, and glorifying militarism, exploiting the refugee crisis, as well as stoking racism, antisemitism and xenophobia. The far right also feeds on religious feelings and traditions to support their reactionary views. It is further developing in this new context, deepening cooperation across Europe – indeed far-right and neo-Nazi forces are building an international network, with a strong focus in the countries of central and eastern Europe.

A time of crisis

We recognise that humanity continues to face multiple crises – climate catastrophe, war, pandemic and health emergencies, economic chaos, inflation, and impoverishment for the many; there is real anger and despair caused by the neoliberal policies and actions of the ruling elites. The far-right has exploited the economic crisis to build its social and political base, weaponised the pandemic for its own political interests, utilised fake news and anti-science conspiracy theories to deny climate change, and cancelled achievements for women, minorities and the LGBTIQ+ community in many European countries. But the major political gains of the far-right are not just built on the current crises – they have long roots in decades of neo-liberal economic policies, de-industrialisation, and the retreat of popular sovereignty in the face of capitalist globalisation and its effects. Working together we are able to share our analysis, and understand these developments and what is required to defeat them.

Against the war

In many ways, we are at a turning point for our societies, and we state that we reject the brutality, hatred, and oppression that war fever, generated by our leaders, has brought about. We reject the untold damage it will cause the working class and our diverse communities, particularly through the strengthening of the far-right, enabled by the culture of war. The war in Ukraine has attracted fascists and neo-Nazis from all over Europe; with their return home, we will face thousands of brutalised people, who will be challenging peace in our societies with their knowledge of weapons and warfare.

Fighting back

We are united in our determination to challenge both the far-right and the warmongers and to defeat them. We will fight back with all our strength, building the movements, uniting across borders, and defending and strengthening trade unions. Fascism will grow and strengthen more quickly in countries where trade unions and left-wing parties are weak and the social protection of workers is destroyed. We will work together in action for international solidarity, with migrants, women, LGBTQ+ communities, disabled people and all those under attack. And in this time of war, we will work with the peace movements to end this war and end the militarism which blights and distorts our societies.

Winning

Our parties and movements have strong traditions against fascism and war. We find strength in that, and we will also build upon and extend the hard-won victories of today, in Latin America and elsewhere, where the people mobilise for a different vision of society and defeat the hate and fear. Anti-fascist and left forces must build international cooperation to support and popularise that vision – and to reject the increasing anticommunism and historical revisionism which goes side by side with the rise of the far-right. Part of this is building a strong left in the European Parliament – we cannot countenance a right/far-right majority in that parliament or any other. As Rosa Luxemburg said, we face a choice: socialism or barbarism. Let’s strengthen and deepen our commitment to building that alternative vision of socialism – and together make it a reality.

We propose the following initiatives:

• an antifascist coordination centre in Europe.
• the banning of neo-Nazi organisations in EU member states.
• an information and education centre in every country, to share knowledge about fascism, racism and xenophobia.
• requiring national intelligence services to coordinate more effectively against far-right terrorist cells.
• requiring national governments to include the historical struggle against fascism in their educational programmes.