Does Party Politics matter within the EU? The Anti-Austerity Left

Siena, 22-05-2017 Enrico Calossi, PhD Università di Pisa [email protected]

To quote these slides, please quote: Calossi, Enrico (2016). “Anti-Austerity Left Parties in the . Competition, Coordination, Integration”. Pisa: Pisa University Press. ISBN 978-886741-6653 EU matters in determing parties’ positioning Anti-Austerity Left Parties in the European Union Competition, Coordination and Integration Introduction: why this book? Research Questions:

1. Is it possible to study the non-social democratic parties (located «to the left of social democracy» - March 2011) from a perspective that will allow us to find an acceptable and non-pejorative definition for this political family?

2. What are the criteria that can be followed in order to identify the different subfamilies of these left-wing parties and, accordingly, how will the geography of this political space result?

3. What are the forms of coordination and, in some cases, even integration, that these various subfamilies of left-wing parties adopt at the European level? Outline of the Book

• Introduction • Political Parties in the European Union and beyond • Defining the Left • The Competing Subfamilies of the Left • Transnational Coordination and Integration of the Left • Conclusions Methodology:

From the one hand, the images of themselves these parties want to convey to the outside are “reconstructed” through the qualitative analysis of electoral manifestos, congress documents, media statements, secondary literature and interviews to privileged observers.

For the organizational aspects that characterize the transnational associations of these parties, I focus on the powers and prerogatives the organization’s statute and regulation assign to the different internal bodies and on the evolution of the organization’s resources. • Particular attention will be given also to the genetic features, which in political organizations can have a strong influence in the subsequent organizational configurations a party assumes (Panebianco 1982). Ch 1: Political Parties in the European Union and beyond 1. Transnational Cooperation of Political Parties 2. Role of Political Parties in the European Union

Section I: Parties inside the Institutions

3. Political Groups in the EP 4. Political Parties in other European Institutions

Section II: Parties outside the Institutions 5. European Political Parties 6. European Political Foundations 7. Other Transnational Political Organizations in Transnational Cooperation of Political Parties • So called «internationals». Main reason: exhchange of expertise, resources, legitimacy. • Firstly on the left (On a world basis, often in practice based in Europe) 1864: International Workingmen’s Association 1889: 1919: • Then... Many others: 1925: Secrétariat International des Partis Démocratiques d’Inspiration Chrétienne 1934: attempt for a «Fascist International» 1947: . Others: World Ecological Parties, Transnational Radical Party, Alliance of Democrats, Humanist International, the International Monarchist League, the Society of the Muslim Brothers, Pirate Parties International. Role of Political Parties in the European Union Three Faces Model (Katz and Mair 1993) about national parties

Party in Public Office Party in Central (ex: in parliament, Office (ex: leader, government) national assembly, congress)

Party on the Ground (ex: members, basic units) Europarty Scheme (Katz, Mair 1993, Bardi 2006, Calossi 2011)

Inside the institutions Outside the institutions

Source: Calossi 2011 Section I: Parties inside the Institutions Political Groups in the EP Name of Group Spiritual Before 1979 1984 1989 1994 Family 1979 Christian Christian European People’s Party European People’s Party (EPP) Democrats Democrat and Social Socialist European Socialist Party Democrats Liberal Democrat and ELDR/ Radical European Liberals Liberal and Democrat Riformist Alliance (REA) European Conservativ Conservati European Democrats EPP-ED / Forza Europa es ve Gauche Unitaire Gauche Unitaire Left Communists and Allies Européenne / Coalition Européenne - Nordic des Gauches Green Left (GUE/NGL) European Progressive European Democratic Alliance (EDA) / Nationalists EDA Democrats European Right (ER) Greens / / Rainbow Greens Greens Regionalists / / Rainbow Radical European Alliance Euro- / / / / sceptics Technical Technical / / / / Groups of Indip. Groups 6 7 8 10 9 Name of Group Spiritual Family 1999 2004 2009 2014 Christian European People’s Party and European European People’s Party Democrats Democrats (EPP-ED) Socialist of Socialists and European Socialist Party Socialist Democrats Democrats (S&D) European Liberal Liberals Democratic and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Reformist Party (ELDR) and Conservatives EPP-ED Reformists (ECR) Left Gauche Unitaire Européenne - Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) of Europe of Nations Nationalists UEN / Nations (UEN) and Freedom (ENF) Greens Greens – Free European Alliance Regionalists Greens – Free European Alliance Europe of Europe of Freedom Europe of Democracies Independence Euro-sceptics Freedom and and Direct and Diversities and Democracy Democracy Democracy Technical of Technical Groups / / / Indipendents Groups 8 7 7 8 Political Parties in other European Institutions

- Some within the EU institutional framework: • The two Councils (Council of Ministers + ), • Commission • Committee of Regions), - Others outside the EU: • OSCE parliamentary assembly • NATO parliamentary assembly • Council of Europe’s Congress • Council of Europe’s Parliamentary assembly Spiritual political families in European-wide institutions Spiritual CoE – Parl. CoE - EP Council CoR OSCE NATO Family Assembly Congress People’s / EPP EPP CD and Christian EPP EPP EPP/CD EPP/CD and Summit associate Democrat others PES Sociali Socialist S&D Leaders’ PES Socialist Socialist Socialist st Conference Independe Liberal Pre- Liberal ALDE ALDE ALDE nt and Liberal - summit Liberal Conservativ AECR-ECR European ECR ECR ECR - Cons. e Pre-summit Conservative Green Green/EFA ------European Regionalist Green/EFA - - - - - Alliance Anti- Unified Austerity GUE/NGL - - European - - - Left Left European Nationalist ENF - - - - - Alliance Euro- EFD2 ------sceptic Section II: Parties outside the EU Institutions European Political Parties N. of European Political Acrony Year of 2016 EP Spitzenkandid Ideology member Party m Rec. grant group at parties Christian European People's €8.68 Jean-Claude EPP Democracy, 2004 51 + 24 EPP Party m Juncker Party of European Social €7.15 PES 2004 32 + 21 S&D Martin Schulz Socialists democracy m Alliance of European Conservatism, €2.53 Conservatives and AECR , 2010 19 + 5 ECR none m Reformists Euro-Realism Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for €2.34 Guy ALDE 2004 41 + 17 ALDE Europe Party m Verhofstadt (formerly ELDR) European Green €1.80 Green Ska Keller / EGP Green politics 2004 39 + 3 Party m /EFA José Bové Left-wing, Party of the , €1.59 GUE/N PEL 2004 29 + 7 Alexis Tsipras European , m GL EuroLeft Alliance for Direct Euro- €1.40 ADDE 2015 7 EFDD n/a Democracy in Europe Scepticism m Mouvement pour Anti-EU, une Europe des MENL Nationalism 2015 €1.54m 5 ENF n/a Nations et , Right-wing des Libertés Regionalism European Free Greens/E EFA Ind. 2004 €0.78m 41 + 7 none Alliance FA movements European Centrism, Verhofsta EDP 2004 €0.65m 14 ALDE Democratic Party Pro-Europe dt Anti-EU, Ind. ENF, European Alliance EAF Nationalism 2011 €0.59m MEPs non- none for Freedom , Right-wing and MPs inscrits European Christian Christian Political ECPM 2010 €0.54m 18 + 28 ECR none right Movement Europeans United GUE/NG for Democracy EUD Eurorealism 2006 €0.43m 11 none L, ALDE (ex EUDemocrats) Alliance for Peace Far-Right, Non- APF 2016 €0.40m 10 + 2 n/a and Freedom Anti-EU inscrits Alliance Europeénne de Anti-EU, Non- AENM 2012 €0.39m 7 none Mouvements Far-Right inscrits Nationaux European Political Foundations Grant Grant Foundation Affiliated to Party 2016 Foundation Affiliated to Party 2016 (m) (m) Wilfred Martens European People’s Centre for European €5.19 Institute of European European Party €0.48 Studies Democrats Democratic Party Found. for European P. of European Centre Maurits European Free €4.43 €0.32 Progressive Studies Socialists Coppieters Alliance New Direction - All. of European European Foundation European Alliance Foundation for Conservative and €1.51 €0.23 for Freedom for Freedom European Reform Reformists All. of Liberals and Christian Political European Christian European Liberal Democrats in €1.39 Foundation of Political €0.32 Forum Europe Europe Movement Green European European Green Organisation for €1.09 European United Foundation Party European Interstate €0.25 for Democracy Party of the Cooperation Transform Europe €0.95 European Left Alliance Identités et Mouv. pour une Europeénne de Found. pour une Traditions €0.23 Europe des Mouvements Europe des Nations €0.94 Européennes Nations et des Nationaux et des Libertés Libertés Alliance for Peace Europa Terra Nostra €0.20 Initiative for Direct All. for Direct and Freedom Democracy in Democracy in €0.83m Europe Europe Other Transnational Political Organizations in Europe A typology of non-recognized transnational organizations

Individual membership Collective membership

Transnational political parties (ex. the Europe Parties of parties (ex. Parties European Federalist European ) Party and )

Confederations of national parties (ex. Transnational political European Anti- Associations associations (ex. Capitalist Left, and the DiEM25) Initiative of Communist and Workers' Parties) Ch 2. Defining the Left

1. Left-wing politics 2. Transnational Coordination and Competition amongst Left Parties 3. Russian Revolution as a Political Cleavage between Social Democracy and Communism 4. To the Left of Social Democracy. A Critical Review of the Existing Literature 5. Austerity as a New Cleavage? 6. Conceptualizing the Anti-Austerity Left Left-wing politics What is the LEFT? Left-wing politics supports egalitarian and social equality in society, often in opposition to inequality and hierarchy. Whoever belongs to left-wing politics usually promotes the interests for those who are perceived as having an underprivileged position in society, while opposing the unjustified privileges held by others (Bobbio 1997). The existence of the Left-Right axis of political competition is a product of the French Revolution (1789–1799). Positions of the Left on five different policy areas: • Economy • Environment • Nation • State-Church relation • Culture / Civil rights Transnational Coordination and Competition amongst Left Parties

• Internationalism is an original element of left-wing politics. First attempts of supranational coordination efforts of left-wing political forces took place with global ambitions • 1864: Marxism, , Labourism, Republicanism within the International of Workingmen (First International) • 1889: The (Socialist international) • 1914: Failure in front of the first World War • 1917: Bolshevik revolution Russian Revolution as a Political Cleavage between Social Democracy and Communism 1919: Bern conference Vs Moscow conference Socialist International vs Communist International (Third International / Comintern) Social Democrats vs Communist Parties Western World vs East

• Experiment of Eurocommunism in the 70-80s • 1990: Collapse of East Communism and East Led Parties  dissolution  socialdemocratization  continuity • 1938: Trotskism / 1970: New Left To the Left of Social Democracy. A Critical Review of the Existing Literature • The events of 1989-1991 had their major impact on the non- socialist Left parties, which became •  heterogeneous from the terminological point of view •  without a unique supranational organization • At least three “lefts”: 1. socialist / social democratic / reform left; 2. environmentalist left / greens; 3. what’s the name of the third one? • Many definitions, such as: Radical, transformative, post- communist, far, hard, extreme, alternative, left of the left, new, left… • My criticism on the term Radicalism: 1. High degree of commitment (radical moderate), 2. specific European Liberal Subfamily, 3. Pejorative meaning, especially after the 9/11 and the rise of “radical Islam”.

Austerity as a New Cleavage?

“The age of irresponsibility is giving way to the age of austerity” (David Cameron, 2009). Austerity as a New Cleavage?  Austerity as a set of measures implemented with the aim of decreasing budget deficits in public finances. Fundamentally, the “austerity measures” are of 2 kinds: tax increases or spending cuts (Blyth 2013). In EU this has caused the reduction of the welfare state.  It has given the floor to the rise of “anti-austerity” movements (Della Porta 2014). If the category of anti-austerity movements has been widely accepted amongst the community of scholars of social movements, we may also try to propose its use for categorizing political parties.  None can know whether the current austerity measures will be relaxed in the near future of if they will remain as a permanent feature. If the second option will be, austerity may become a prominent and longstanding cleavage that would divide societies in its supporters and its discontents, today and in the days to come. Emerging of the the Anti-Austerity Left First clear example of emergence of the Anti-Austerity cleavage amongst the other and more traditional ones. In January 2015, the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) conquered 149 out of 300 seats in the Greek parliament; two seats under the needed majority to form a cabinet. Its leader Alexis Tsipras had different alliance options. Golden Dawn and New Democracy were excluded. The Greek Communist Party (KKE) had declared its unwillingness to form a government. There were still other three potential allies: Two were center-left parties, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) and “The River” (To Potami); the third one was a center-right party, the Independent Greeks (ANEL). Tsipras preferred to follow the anti-austerity cleavage rather than the classical left-right divide. Greece, January 2015

Tsipras preferred ANEL, thus following the anti-austerity cleavage rather than the classical left-right divide. Other cases Ch 3 _ The Competing Subfamilies of the Left

1. The Debate on the Sub-types of Non-Socialist Left Parties 2. The EuroLeft Parties 3. The Marxist-Leninists 4. Nordic Green Left Parties 5. The Anti-Capitalist Left 6. Between Internationalism and Sovereignty? Parties without a European Affiliation The Debate on the Sub-types of Non-Socialist Left Parties

• Backes and Moreau (2008): traditionalist vs reform communists, and red-greens. • March (2011): Communist parties, democratic socialists, populist socialists, and social populists. • Escalona and Viera (2013): the Orthodox Communists, the Left of Social Democracy, the red-green parties, and the Revolutionary Extreme Left. • Gomez et al. (2016): “New Left” Radical Left Parties (RLPs) and the “Traditional” RLPs The Debate on the Sub-types of Non-Socialist Left Parties • Definitions prompted by third actors tend to be elements of stigmatization and, in short, libelous or derogatory of a party’s image. Therefore, I think that every political actor should be awarded the freedom to choose its own self-definition. And scholars should respect this. • One of the most important expressions of the party’s freedom is the choice of its own international affiliation. • Therefore, four subfamilies: • EuroLeft Parties (linked to the Party of the European Left) • the Marxist-Leninists (linked to KKE’s international organization) • the Nordic Green Left Parties (linked to NGLA) • the Anti-Capitalist Left parties (linked to “anticapitalist” organizations) Relation with Party Country Subfamily GUE/NGL PTB-PvdA Belgium Associated No affiliation Laburisti Croatia Not in EP No affiliation AKEL Cyprus Member EuroLeft Observer KSČM Czech Rep. Member EuroLeft Observer Nordic Green Left / Member of SF European Green Greens-EFA Party Enhl. Denmark Member EuroLeft Member EuroLeft Member / VAS Member Nordic Green Left PCF-FdG France Member EuroLeft Member European NPA France Not in EP Anticapitalist Left Die Linke Germany Member EuroLeft Member KKE Greece In Non-Inscrits Marxist-Leninists EuroLeft Member / European Anti- SYRIZA Greece Member Capitalist Left Observer Relation with Party Country Subfamily GUE/NGL Ireland / United SF Member No affiliation Kingdom Ireland / United AAA-PBP Not in EP Anti-Capitalist Left Kingdom EuroLeft / Anti- Rifondazione Italy Member Capitalist Left Observer LSP Latvia Not in EP Marxist-Leninists Déi Lénk Luxembourg Not in EP EuroLeft SP Netherlands Member No affiliation PCP Portugal Member Marxist-Leninists EuroLeft / Bloco Portugal Member European Anticapitalist Left ZL Slovenia Not in EP EuroLeft Associated IU Spain Member EuroLeft Member Podemos Spain Member No affiliation V Member Nordic Green Left Main positions of these parties on the following issues: • Economy • Environment • Nation • State-Church relation • Culture / Civil rights

EuroLeft Parties, the Marxist-Leninists, the Nordic Green Left Parties, the Anti-Capitalist Left parties Plus… standing alone parties (Sinn Fein, Podemos, Socialist Party of the Netherlands, PTB) Ch 4: Transnational Coordination and Integration of the Left Section I: Inside the Institutions 1. Left parties in the 1.1. Communists in the EP 1.2. The genetic features of the GUE/NGL group 1.3. Consolidation and enlargement of the group 1.4. The GUE/NGL organization and resources 2. Anti-Austerity Left Parties in other Institutions Section II: Outside the Institutions 3. The Party of the European Left 3.1. Genetic features 3.2. Organization and resources 4. The Foundation: Transform Europe 5. Other Forms of Party Coordination Section I: Inside the Institutions Left parties in the European Parliament

History: Communists in the EP 1989: split into two groups The genetic features of the GUE/NGL group Consolidation and enlargement of the group

Organization: The GUE/NGL organization and resources Anti-Austerity Left Parties in other Institutions

• Historically weak presence of communist exponents in the other EU institutions (exception of Altiero Spinelli in the 70s). • AKEL presidency in Cyprus and its role in the European Council (for the Commission AKEL preferred to name a Liberal exponent). Conciliative role by AKEL. • Initially, a different style by Alexis Tsipras (clash in 2015). Later, normalization and even participation of Tsipras as guest to PES events.

• Section II: Outside the Institutions

Party of the European Left Transform! foundation The Party of the European Left • Genetic features Founding Member Parties Acronym Country Austrian Communist Party KPÖ Austria Party of Democratic Socialism SDS Czech Rep. Estonian Social Democratic Workers’ EÜVP Estonia Party French Communist Party PCF France Party of Democratic Socialism PDS Germany Synaspismos SYN Greece The Left Luxembourg Communist Refoundation Party PRC Italia Block of the Left BE Portugal Party of Socialist Alliance (PASRO) PASRO Romania Sammarinese Communist RCS San Marino Refoundation (RCS) Izquierda Unida IU Spain Esquerra Unida i Alternativa EUiA Catalonia / E Communist Party of Spain PCE Spain Swiss Workers Party PdA/PST/PC Switzerland Hungarian Workers’ Party Hungary • Organization and resources The Foundation: Transform Europe Nome Country Related Party Est. Status Transform.at Austria None 2006 M Promitheas Cyprus None 2011 O Transform!Danmark Denmark None 2012 M Society for European Dialogue (SPED) Czech Republic None 2001 M Left Forum Finland VAS 1996 M Democratic Civic Forum Finland C.P. of Finland 1986 M Espaces Marx France PCF 1995 M Copernic Foundation France None 1998 O In for Social, Ecological and Economic Studies Germany None 1990 M Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Germany Die Linke 1990 M Journal “Sozialismus” Germany None 1972 M Institute N. Poulantzas Greece SYRIZA 1997 M Transform! Italia Italy None 2002 M Association “Punto Rosso” Italy None 1991 O Transform! Luxembourg Luxembourg None 2008 M transform! moldova Moldova None 2010 O Manifesto Foundation Norway None 1998 M Cultures of Labour and Socialism Portugal None 1988 M Ass. for the Develop. of the R. Social Forum Romania None 2005 O Institute for Labor Studies Slovenia None 2012 O Foundation of Marxist Studies Spain PCE 1978 M Alternative Foundation Catalonia Esq. Unida i Alternativa 2003 M Europe of Citizens Foundation Spain Izquierda Unida 1998 M Center for Marxist Social Studies Sweden Vänsterpartiet 1977 M Found. for Social Research, Culture and Art Turkey None 1993 O Other Forms of Party Coordination

• New European Left Forum

• Nordic Green Left Association

• “INITIATIVE of communist and workers’ parties in order to study and elaborate European issues and to coordinate their activity”

• “Democracy in Europe Movement 2025” (DiEM25) - Results: Conclusions • General overview on party politics at the EU level • Tentative definition of the non-social democratic left (anti-austerity left) that could be good «for the here and the now». • Differentiation amongst the several sub-families of the anti-austerity left - Lines of further research: • Definition of “radical right parties”. It is specular to that of “radical left parties” and consequently suffers the same problem of the latter. Searching for a non pejorative / neutral self-definition those parties use for themselves. • From an electoral studies’ perspective, analyzing how the different subfamilies perform differently to attract voters traditionally linked to other spiritual families. • The impact of austerity on the social democratic left.