Network-Meeting of Left-Ecological Politicians

For many left parties in Europe, ecological topics are controversial or neglected. Politicians of left parties who are dealing with environmental or climate questions are often lone warriors in their own ranks. There are many reasons for this, most of them are, however, historical. Many left political parties have their political base in the working class, with a majority from the extracting industries like coal mining or the car industry.

Also within the European left parties there are very different positions on nuclear power or the coal-based energy sector. The German left party for example has a broad consensus for the nuclear power phase-out at its base, while such a position is not backed by a majority in the French Communist Party.

However, many European left parties have elected representatives, groups and members, who actually are connecting the questions of a just energy transition or of climate and environmental justice with the traditionally established struggles of left parties. They are putting “green” topics on their political agenda. For them, Paris offered the possibility to hold the first European network meeting for left-ecological politicians. The event for an exchange between the present politicians, representatives of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung and their international partner organisations was organised by the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung.

The opening speeches were hold by Dagmar Enkelmann, president of ther Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, Pierre Laurent, president of the Communist Party France, and Wilfried Telkämper, director of the Center for International Dialog and Cooperation, Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung.

Download:

Mot de bienvenue par Pierre Laurent
Opening speech by Wilfried Telkämper

bienvenue_plaurent_cop21_2015.pdfPDF file

what_we_really_need_to_do_wtelkaemper2015.pdfPDF file