Joint Declaration of leftist youth on Europe against fascism

For some years now, Europe as a whole has been experiencing the intense growth of the far right. In many states they occupy positions of power and increasingly alarming support. Their reactionary policies are aimed at the rollback of social rights arduously achieved throughout history, and they are against social, ecological, intersectional transfeminist policies that guarantee better material living conditions for the working class.

Examples of these policies are the anti-immigration measures that have been implemented throughout the European Union, and an extreme ultranationalism of an undemocratic and ethnocentric nature, also attacking any attempt at political dissent that shakes the system.

Faced with this situation, anti-fascist organisation is essential, and to build a response that is capable of providing a project that transforms the material conditions of the working class. It is important, therefore, to forge alliances between peoples who share core values, and who believe that a new Europe is possible. In the context of new European elections, organisation and the common front must be the key to victory.

Therefore, the groups that sign this pact commit to:

•Condemn the hate speech of the far right and acquire the commitment not to replicate them, thus protecting and promoting the rights and freedoms of all people.

•Reject policies promoted by far-right parties and acquire a commitment not to negotiate and deal with them.

•Create a democratic cordon, involving movements to isolate far-right parties and thus avoid the existence of situations in which these movements can be protagonists and expose their ideas and narratives. Therefore it’s necessary to create a strategy against the neoliberal and militaristic bloc which involve all forces who support an equal, peaceful world based on international solidarity.

•Present similar agreements to their main parties and families congress or conferences, as well as their European relatives.

•Promote and actively participate in the antifascist movement.

•Include the antifascist perspective within the public policies promoted in all territories.

•The economic, social and democratic crises we are experiencing, created by globalised capitalism, are fuelling the rise of fascist and reactionary forces in Europe. Inequalities are growing and international relations are becoming more militarised. The ongoing global conflicts raise the spectre of generalised conflict. Reactionary forces are using these crises to develop racism and identity-based panic. Across Europe, these forces are gaining dangerous ground, feeding on misery, despair and frustration created by capitalism. They spread their racist and anti-Semitic ideas.

The political organisations signing this manifesto consider that it is crucial to “build and preserve the idea of organised antifascism” and, to do so, believe that “it is important to create links between the left, the environmentalist and socialist movements and stateless nations in Europe to build a transformative project that can provide the necessary material conditions to the working class. For the Europe of the people and for the Europe of solidarity.

European Left Youth Network (ELYN)