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| The Left in the European Parliament — GUE/NGL | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Left in the European Parliament — GUE/NGL |
| Native name | Confederal Group of the European United Left–Nordic Green Left |
| Abbreviation | GUE/NGL |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Ideology | Democratic socialism; Communism; Eco-socialism; Feminism; Labour movement |
| Headquarters | Brussels |
| Chair | See Key Figures and Leadership |
| Seats | Varies by election |
The Left in the European Parliament — GUE/NGL is a political group in the European Parliament formed to represent left-wing, socialist, communist, and radical green parties from across European Union member states. It aggregates members from national parties such as Podemos (Spanish political party), Die Linke, La France Insoumise, and Syriza, and interacts with transnational organisations including the Party of the European Left, European Green Party, and Progressive Alliance. The group participates in legislative committees, plenary debates, and intergroups while engaging with institutions like the European Commission and the Council of the European Union.
GUE/NGL emerged from a lineage that includes the Communist and Allies Group and the Left Unity Group, formalised in 1995 amid realignments triggered by the Maastricht Treaty and the post-Cold War reshaping of European politics. Early membership featured delegations from Italian Communist Party, French Communist Party, and Spanish United Left, while later waves incorporated representatives from newer formations such as Left Bloc (Portugal), Red–Green Alliance (Denmark), and The Left (Sweden). The group adapted through EU enlargements involving Treaty of Amsterdam negotiations, the 2004 enlargement including Poland and Hungary, and the 2007 accession of Bulgaria and Romania, responding to crises like the 2008 financial crisis and the European sovereign-debt crisis. GUE/NGL has navigated tensions with mainstream blocs including the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party while reacting to events such as the Greek government-debt crisis, the mobilisations in Spain linked to Indignados, and policy debates after the Brexit referendum.
The group is organised with a confederal structure reflecting members from national parties such as Communist Party of Greece, Workers' Party of Belgium, Hungarian Workers' Party, Front de Gauche, and Left Party (Finland), and Eurosceptic leftists from parties like Sinn Féin and Parti de Gauche. Internal bodies include a coordinating committee that liaises with European Parliament committees—for example, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Membership fluctuates with European Parliament elections influenced by national contests such as Spanish general election, 2015, German federal election, 2017, and French legislative election, 2017. The group maintains relationships with civil society actors including trade unions like the European Trade Union Confederation, activist networks such as Attac, and NGOs including Amnesty International and Greenpeace.
GUE/NGL advocates policies grounded in socialism and anti-austerity positions established after the Lisbon Treaty era, pushing for alternatives to neoliberal frameworks seen in policies promoted by the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The group supports public ownership measures reminiscent of proposals debated in contexts like the British Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn and the Syriza platform in Greece, promotes universal social protections similar to models in Nordic countries such as Sweden and Denmark, and champions climate policies aligned with Eco-socialism inspired by movements around the Paris Agreement. On foreign policy, GUE/NGL has criticised NATO expansions, advocated engagement with Russia and negotiation frameworks like those surrounding the Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), and supported solidarity with movements such as Palestinian national movement and opposition to military intervention in Libya. The group foregrounds gender equality agendas resonant with European Institute for Gender Equality initiatives and backs migration stances influenced by cases like Mediterranean migrant crisis and rulings from the European Court of Human Rights.
Electoral fortunes have varied: post-1999 realignments followed results in the 1999 European Parliament election, while surges occurred after movements linked to the 2008 financial crisis and the rise of parties like Podemos following the 2011 Spanish protests. Representation peaked and ebbed across the 2009 European Parliament election, the 2014 European Parliament election, and the 2019 European Parliament election, influencing debates on legislation including proposals from the European Commission on the European Green Deal and the Multiannual Financial Framework. Though smaller than the European People's Party and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, GUE/NGL has exerted leverage in coalitions over amendments on social policy, environmental regulation, and transparency measures, occasionally forming voting majorities with groups like The Greens–European Free Alliance and the Left Party affiliates during key plenary votes.
Prominent personalities associated with the group include veteran left MPs from parties like Die Linke figures, leading Greek deputies from Syriza such as former ministers, Spanish representatives from Podemos (Spanish political party) and United Left (Spain), and influential French voices from La France Insoumise. Chairs and coordinators have engaged with EU leadership including European Commission President nominations and committee chairs like those in the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. The group’s spokespersons have interacted with international leaders such as Jean-Claude Juncker, Angela Merkel, and Emmanuel Macron on policy disputes, and collaborated with activists associated with Occupy movement and intellectuals tied to Noam Chomsky-style critiques of neoliberalism.
GUE/NGL often aligns with The Greens–European Free Alliance on environmental and civil liberties amendments and sometimes partners with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats on social protection dossiers. It contrasts with centrists in the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party and conservatives in the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, while occasionally coordinating with left-populist MEPs unaffiliated to form ad hoc coalitions during votes on files advanced by the European Commission or contested by the European Council. The group also interacts with parliamentary intergroups focused on topics such as LGBT rights, Anti-corruption, and Western Sahara.
Critiques involve tensions over alleged compromises with mainstream social-democratic blocs seen during negotiations over the Multiannual Financial Framework, internal disputes reflecting splits between reformist and orthodox communist factions similar to historical debates involving the Italian Communist Party, and controversies linked to statements on conflicts involving Russia and Ukraine that provoked public debate. Additional controversies have arisen from disagreements over candidate selection in national parties like Podemos (Spanish political party) and Die Linke, and from scrutiny by media outlets such as Der Spiegel and The Guardian regarding positions on austerity, taxation, and foreign policy.