The Party of the European Left, commonly abbreviated European Left (EL), is a European political party which operates as an association of democratic socialist, socialist[1] and communist[1] 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. PEL was founded on 8–9 May 2004 in Rome.[2] Elected MEPs from member parties of the European Left sit in the European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) group in the European parliament.
Its first congress took place on 8 October 2005, in Athens, which produced the Athens Declaration of the European Left. The second congress was held 23–25 November 2007 in Prague.[3] The third congress was held on 2–5 December 2010 in Paris.[4][5][6] Its fourth congress held on 13–15 December 2013 in Madrid.[7]
Several of the member and observer parties participate also in the more radical European Anti-Capitalist Left. Before the European Left was founded, most of its members already held annual meetings together as part of the New European Left Forum (NELF),[8] which still exists.
