The Left in Government

Latin America and Europe compared

From the introduction:

Since the late nineties, left forces have taken over government responsibility in a growing number of countries in Latin America; in Europe too, the left has participated in governing coalitions. An evaluation of whether government participation has been successful or not should be based on whether the left has been able to achieve structural changes effective beyond the short term of government participation, and whether it has been able to enlarge its social base. On the basis of these criteria, the participation of the left in governments will have to be assessed very differently.

On the other hand, during the world crisis, the left faces the challenge of using the opportunity to fight for the fulfilment of a just international society. The effects of the crisis are threatening the conditions of life of the people in east and west, north and south, and only by a radical reversal of the neoliberal domination of the market over the social conditions of life will it be possible to safeguard the possibilities for development. Is the left able to not only provide a profound analysis of the world crisis, but also to develop concrete concepts for action? And are there key elements in the necessarily regionally differentiated concepts which can be interconnected worldwide?

Content:

Einleitung

Michael Brie: Rosa Luxemburg´s Main Objections to Participation in Bourgeois Governments – A discussion

Pedro Páez: The Crisis of Capitalism and Post-Capitalist Horizons

Valter Pomar: The Different Strategies of Left Movements in Latin America

Luciana Castellina: The Italian Case: A Point of View

Iole Ilíada: The Left in Government, the Crisis of Capitalism and Post-Neoliberalism: Challenges and Political Perspectives for the Implementation of a New Model of Socio-Economic Development in Brazil

Asbjørn Wahl: To be in Office, but not in Power: Left Parties in the Squeeze between Peoples’ Expectations and an Unfavourable Balance of Power (Norway)

Rocío Casco: The Paraguayan Left and the Challenges of the New Government

Carlos Castañeda Magaña: A National Project of the Left: The Poltical Experience of the FMLN (El Salvador)

Ernesto Zelayandia: What to Do when Hope defeats Fear? The Historical Election Victory of the Salvadorian Left

Stefan Liebich: Changing Politics our Way: Projects and Experiences in a Red-Red Coalition (Berlin, Germany)

Elisabeth Gauthier: Left-wing Governments in France and the Challenge of Hegemon (France)

Lilián Celiberti: The Left in Goverment: Cultural and Political Dimension of the Current Changes (Uruguay)

Ioannis Colocasides: The Left in Government: The Experience of Cyprus

Germán Rodas Chaves: The Left: Administrator of Crisis or Promoter of Structural Reforms? (Ecuador)

Steffen Bockhahn: Changing Relations between Party and Non-Parliamentary Organisations: The Example of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Germany)

Graciela García Vera: The Left in Government: Elements of the Programme Programme to Continue the Change (Uruguay)

José Reinaldo Carvalho: Left Unity and Struggle for a new Programme of Change: Peculiarities of the Brazilian Situation

Carlos Arrue: Neoliberalism in Chile and Challenges for Left Governance

Francisco Contreras: The Strength to Change the Financial and Economic Structures: Some Key Elements to Change the Power Balance (Sweden)

Héctor Rodríguez Castro: Anticipating Boliviarian Socialism (Venezuela)

Margarita López Maya y Luis E. Lander: Responses of Venezuela’s Rentier Socialism to the Recent Decline of International Oil Prices

Dag Seierstad; The Red-Green Government of Norway and the Alliances with Trade Unions and Social Movements

José Pineda: Advocating Hydropower Sovereignity in Paraguay

 

THE LEFT IN GOVERNMENT Latin America and Europe ComparedPDF file