Version imprimableThe creation of the new structure was announced on 12 January 2024 during a briefing in the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. The position of the Social Movement NGO was presented by Victoria Pigul, a member of the Council of the Social Movement from Kyiv.
The newly formed coalition includes:
– Budoucnost (Czech Republic), Demos (Romania), KARTU (Lithuania), Razem (Poland),
– Szikra Mozgalom (Hungary), Social Movement (Ukraine).
According to Zofia Malisz, project coordinator of Razem and member of the party’s National Council, the voice of the Central and Eastern European left has been almost unheard in the EU so far. The creation of CEEGLA should change that. "We want to support each other in running for the European Parliament, to strengthen the voice of the young, green left from the Baltic Sea to the Balkans," she explained.
All of these political forces believe that the roots of the economic, social and climate crises are rooted in the logic of the capitalist system.
"In contrast to those who see them as expensive and undeserved, we value public services - health, education and social protection - as the key to a society based on equality, solidarity and dignity," the new alliance’s website says, "We are committed to building a strong, diverse and sustainable economy that works for all. We are raising our voices to shape a European and global economy that is people-centred. The idea that our region is merely a capitalist testing ground for the semi-periphery of Europe and the world order must be rejected."
CEEGLA describes itself as "a new generation that has experienced disillusionment after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and the subsequent capitalist transition". "We have neither nostalgia for the previous regimes nor illusions about the nature of the failed neoliberal project being implemented in our region. We need to move forward, not backwards. We support European integration and the development of a democratic, social and sustainable Europe" - these are the values of the Alliance.
Among CEEGLA’s top priorities is countering Russian aggression, which is destroying Ukraine and threatening the entire region. "The only reason why Russian troops have not yet attacked Poland or Romania is because of the US troops deployed there. We are convinced that the countries of our region must jointly build their own subjectivity and strength," said Pigul. "I am not just talking about military strength. Russia is exploiting the weaknesses of European countries - the climate and housing crisis, the deterioration of living standards and the rise of the far right," she warned. "Without addressing these issues, we cannot ensure our security.
As emphasised by Razem MP Maciej Konieczny, "today Ukraine still needs European solidarity, it needs economic, financial and military support to repel Russian aggression and protect our security." As you know, since the first days of the full-scale invasion, the Polish left has been advocating for the cancellation of Ukraine’s foreign debt to ensure a sustainable future for our country.
"The Social Movement hopes that consolidation with allies from the Eastern European region will help the Ukrainian people more easily achieve defence supplies that will strengthen our defence, reinforce social priorities in the process of European integration and guide post-war reconstruction in the interests of the whole society.
We thank our comrades from Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary for supporting us in this difficult time for Ukraine and for offering to develop the left at the international level!
We urge everyone to follow the updates on the official website of the association https://ceegla.org/ and in the social network X.
15 January 2024
Communiqué de Sotsialny Rukh in Ukrainian.
