[Individual-members-EL] Prague Congress

[Francis King]

Hi all

Thanks very much to Stephen for attending the congress, and for his very useful interventions and approach on the question of individual membership. I think that many of us who have joined as individual members have done so because we think that, as time goes on, there will be an ever-greater need for a genuinely European party of the left. This is necessarily a long-term project. There will almost inevitably be occasional tensions along the way with national parties who may resent the emergence of real or (more likely) imagined rivals in "their" countries. But if we handle the process carefully and diplomatically, it should cause any insurmountable problems.

For the moment, I think we should seek representation on the EB, and that the matter should be discussed among the individual members so that we can put forward someone who can genuinely claim to represent our viewpoint. Stephen's approach here has been absolutely correct. I hope we have this discussion soon, and that we reach some kind of consensus.

Regards

Francis King (individual ELP member, England)


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Steve Spence 
  To: individual-members-el at listi.jpberlin.de 
  Cc: Andrew Stevens ; Bob 
  Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 3:24 PM
  Subject: [Individual-members-EL] Prague Congress


  Dear All,

  I attended the November Prague Congress of the EL as an individual member from England.  There were a number of individual members from other countries there.  Germany and Italy in particular.  

  The Congress material and decisions can be viewed through the EL website.  I wanted to report briefly to this list on some indivdual member matters.

  Firstly the statute was amended to enshrine individual membership in the Party.  The wording that related to a 'period of experimentation' was removed.  Individual membership is now a firm part of the statute of the EL although in countries with national member parties those parties have the right to veto individual membership  

  The German individual members network had organised an individual member stall with a banner leaflets etc in the Congress registration area.

  I got to speak at the Congress and did so on the issue of individual membership, reported on the EL individual member network in England, mentioned our new basic website www.theleft.org.uk and suggested the Party needed to do more to encourage individual membership.

  Some individual members at the Congress were very keen to run someone for the Executive Board and I was asked if I would run.  The Congress has the power to elect 'other' EB members.  In the discussions with the Secretariat and amongst ourselves on this matter the following became clear.

  1. The EB had had no chance to consider such an option.  It had not been discussed.  Whilst 
      this was recognised there was a certain frustration as individual members had submitted a
      number of issues to the Congress and none were placed on the agenda.  The EB question
      had arisen partly as a result of this.

  2. Individual members had not canvassed whether this should be done and who the candidate
     might be.  It felt unfair to seek to advance the question without such a discussion amongst
     individual members.

  3. There was a concern that the national parties which are opposed to individual membership may
      react very negatively to such a proposal being 'dropped' on them.  Others thought we should
      press ahead, that the national parties needed to be challenged on the matter.

  It was agreed that if the Executive Board would give consideration to this issue at its next meeting then we would be prepared to hold back from nominating a candidate at the Congress and accordingly I declined to stand for the Executive Board.  There was some discussion as to whether Uli or Mike from Germany should run instead but in the end it was agreed that they would not.  As I understand it the Executive Board will consider the question in January.

  Uli spoke on the floor of the Congress on Sunday morning to express the concern of individual members that they should enjoy rights within the Party structures.  Someone was supposed to give the opposite view but didn't turn up so Uli got a clear run.

  A number of speakers during the Congress supported individual members including a comrade form 'The Left' in Luxembourg, with the Hungarian national party in opposition. 

  I am asking members of the individual member network in England whether they are happy for us to seek representation on the Executive Board and I would also ask members of this list to express their view. If anyone has an objection please let it be known.

  I don't know whether we'll be asked to send someone to put a view forward to the EB in January. At the moment Uli, Mike and myself have taken the opportunites to advance the individual member question in discussions because we have tended to be the ones there and involved.  If anyone has a view on this or thinks other should play a role, let us know.

  At the moment the plan would be to advance the debate on the EB in January and depending on the response to move the question forward from there.

  Best wishes

  Stephen Spence
  Individual Member
  The Left -
  European Left Party
  England



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