Gregor Gysi (Bildmitte) mit den neu gewählten Vize-PräsidentInnen Pierre Laurent, Maite Mola, Paolo Ferrero, Margarita Mileva (v.l.n.r)

Gregor Gysi zum neuen Präsidenten der EL gewählt

Von: Party of the European Left (18.12.2016)

Gregor Gysi (Die Linke, Deutschland) wurde am 5. Parteitag der EL zum neuen Präsidenten gewählt. Die neuen Vize-PräsidentInnen sind Paolo Ferrero (Rifondazione Comunista Italy, Italien), Pierre Laurent (Kommunistische Partei Frankreich), Maite Mola (Kommunistische Partei Spaniens) und Margarita Mileva (Bulgarische Linke). In seiner Anspräche an den Parteitag bedankt sich Gregor Gysi bei seinen Vorgängern in dieser Position für die gute Arbeit, auf der er jetzt aufbauen kann. Er nennt als Themen zu denen sich die EL positionieren muss die zu erwartende verstärkte Militarisierung Europas, die Ökologisch Krise und natürlich die Herausforderungen die katastrophale soziale Ungerechtigkeit zu verändern.

Presseaussendung der Europäischen Linken

Gregor Gysi elected new President of the Party of the European Left
The delegates of the 5th Congress of the Party of the European Left (EL) elected this Saturday the German Gregor Gysi as the new EL President for a three-year term that will end in late 2019.
The EL Congress also elected the four Vice-Presidents which complete the Presidency of the European Left. Pierre Laurent (PCF, France) will now become Vice-President of the Party, alongside Maite Mola (PCE, Spain) and Margarita Mileva (Bulgarian Left) who were reconducted for a third and second term respectively. Paolo Ferrero, Secretary-General of Rifondazione Comunista (Italy) completes the Vice-Presidencies. The Presidency was elected in a collective vote with 67,6% in favour and 24,5% against. The abstention was of 8%.

„Today begins a new chapter of my life,“ said Gregor Gysi, after being elected new EL President of the EL. He appreciated the work done by the previous presidents, described the situation of Europe being of deep crisis, spoke on the growing increase of the poverty gap, and on the speculation as a cause of the crisis. He shared his position against tax havens, against TTIP and TISA, against the austerity that is destroying Europe, the growing militarism in the Union European and Germany, and also about the need of a solution for the environmental crisis and the one concerning refugees, which is acting on the causes of the conflict. Gysi criticized this Union European but argued that we can not abandon it, supporting the European integration against nationalisms.

The new president concluded his speech by advocating a European left more active and combative, ensuring that his presidency will demonstrate that there is another Germany very different to the Merkel and Shäuble one.

Gregor Gysi is member of the Bundestag since 2005, and joint-chairman of the parliamentary group of DIE LINKE. Lawyer of profession, Gregor Gysi started is political career in PDS – Party of Democratic Socialism, having chaired the party between 1989 and 1993. He was member of the GDR Parliament (“Volkskammer”) between 1990 and 2002, year when he also became Deputy Mayor of Berlin and Senator for Economics, Labour and Women’s issues in the SPD-PDS coalition governing the city.

This second day of the 5th EL Congress also saw important documents approved, such as the political document that outlines the focus of the European Left for the next three years. It has been approved with the 81,0% of the votes, 10,1% against and an abstention of 9%.

The Congress will conclude on Sunday with the approval of new member parties, observers and partner, with the new Executive Board meeting later on to elect the new EL Political Secretariat.