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Left-Wing Fears Outcome of European Elections

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

BRUSSELS/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Leading left-wing parties across Europe, who face being punished by voters in upcoming European Parliament elections, have ruled out alliances with the far right and pledged to “relentlessly combat hatred, racism, and xenophobia.”

“Turbulent times require a clear course and a firm attitude. They do not tolerate vagueness or cowardice,” said the joint appeal. “The time has come to become democrats of combat, no longer of habit or comfort.”

Signatories included European legislator Raphaël Glucksmann, who heads the French Socialist Party’s list for the June election, and Frans Timmermans, a former European Commission vice-president and leading member of the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA).

Timmerman’s signature comes while in his native Netherlands, the anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) will lead a four-party coalition, which will include experts from outside the political arena, though no prime minister has been named yet

The statement came ahead of Thursday’s last primary election debate of the European Union, whose 27 member states are represented in the European Parliament.

The president of the EU’s executive European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who seeks re-election, defended her record as European Commission president.

Yet she faced several rivals at a time of concern about massive migration into the EU and economic challenges in the bloc of 470 million people.

RIVAL CANDIDATES

Rival candidates Nicolas Schmit, Terry Reintke, Sandro Gozi, and Walter Baier debated with her about the economy, defense, and democracy, among other topics.

Despite no one on stage to represent the rightwing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) parties, the 105-minute debate was dominated by talks of their projected growing influence and possible alliances with them.

Pressed on her ties with the Italian nationalist Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
and the ECR, von der Leyen didn’t rule out working with her: “We’re gonna see whether those who are pro-European – and she is clearly pro-European – against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin – she’s been very clear on that one – and pro-rule of law, if this holds – and then we offer to work together,” she said.

Schmit condemned migration policies that have reportedly led to migrants being pushed into the desert and urged Von der Leyen to show her “red lines” when it comes to the far right.

Gozi spoke of “real European power” without elaborating and called for stepping up investment in defense, with financing in joint bonds.

Reintke stressed that “the climate crisis” is not waiting and said how the EU makes decisions must be improved.

When it comes to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the European Left’s Baier said he doesn’t see a solution on the battlefield with reports of heavy attacks on the nation’s second-largest city, Kharkiv.

DIFFERENT OPINION

He disagreed on that issue with the others on stage. Von der Leyen stressed that it’s important to “improve the European defense industry” and invest in European projects while continuing to stand by Ukraine.

With the debate unfolding, the far-right German party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) was expelled from its pan-European parliamentary group after a string of controversies over its policy choices and the conduct of some of its leaders.

“The bureau of the Identity and Democracy group in the European Parliament has decided today to exclude the German delegation, AfD, with immediate effect,” the ID group of populist and far-right parties said in a statement on Thursday.

The party faced mass street protests earlier this year after senior figures attended a meeting of neo-Nazis where the deportation of Germans with immigrant backgrounds was discussed and over allegations that it harbors agents for Russia and China.

Last week, a German court ruled that domestic security services could continue to keep the AfD under surveillance as a potentially “extremist party.” The party denies all allegations of racism, dismissing criticism as politically motivated.

Amid political turmoil, some 370 million voters have now been asked to participate in the June 6-9 European ballot seen as the world’s largest democratic vote outside India.