Party of the European Left

The Party of the European Left (PEL), or European Left (EL), is a European political party that operates as an association of democratic socialist and communist political parties in the European Union and other European countries. It was formed in January 2004 for the purposes of running in the 2004 European Parliament elections. The PEL was founded on 8–9 May 2004 in Rome. The elected MEPs from member parties of the PEL sit in The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament, though not all PEL members are also members of GUE/NGL.

Several member and observer parties participate also in the more radical European Anti-Capitalist Left. Before the PEL was founded, most of its members already held annual meetings together, as part of the New European Left Forum (NELF). The current president is the Austrian politician Walter Baier.

History
The Party of European Left (PEL) was formed on 8 and 9 May 2004 in Rome, Italy. The party's first congress took place on 8 October 2005 in Athens, and produced the Athens Declaration of the European Left. The second congress was held 23–25 November 2007 in Prague. The third congress was held on 2–5 December 2010 in Paris. Its fourth congress was held on 13–15 December 2013 in Madrid. Its fifth congress took place on 16–18 December 2016 in Berlin, and elected German lawyer and politician Gregor Gysi as the new PEL President. Heinz Bierbaum was elected president in 2019. He was succeeded by Walter Baier in December 2022.

It operates a think tank, Transform Europe, and it has women's wing named EL-Fem.

Ideology
PEL has been described as a left-wing and a far-left  political party. Its ideology is based on principles of democratic socialism, socialism, and communism. It is opposed to capitalism and consists of parties with wide range of opinions. PEL is also supportive of progressivism.

It takes a soft Eurosceptic approach towards the European Union, and opposes militarization and foreign interventionism. PEL opposed the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan, and criticised the oppression of 2009 Iranian presidential election protests. It is also opposed to NATO and United States military bases. It supports Cuba, and a delegation visited the nation in February 2022.

In an interview with the political magazine Jacobin, Walter Baier, the president of PEL, described PEL as part of the "socialist left" and criticised the European Union, stating that it is neoliberal and "closer to enlightened absolutism than parliamentary democracy".

Leadership

 * President: Fausto Bertinotti (2004–2007), Lothar Bisky (2007–2010), Pierre Laurent (2010–2016), Gregor Gysi (2016–2019), Heinz Bierbaum (2019–2022), Walter Baier (2022–present)
 * Leader in the European Parliament: Francis Wurtz (2004–2009), Lothar Bisky (2009–2012), Gabi Zimmer (2012–2019), Martin Schirdewan (2019–present)

Membership
The Party of the European Left consists of member parties with full rights, observer parties, individual members and EL partners. As of June 2024, The Party of the European Left has 25 member parties in 22 countries. Not all members of PEL are members of The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament.