[Individual-members-EL] EL

Thu Feb 7 23:30:51 CET 2008

Dear Mike, 

As far as I know Sinistra Europea is just observer, and therefore,
without seats at the board, meaning they have not full membership to
introduce any point in the agenda.

I agree that it would have been better to organise at a transnational
level but things like the language and the fact that politics is still
national have concluded in this way. I think that the question has been
already decided de facto, we like it or not. 

About their strategy, it seems by political reasons impossible to take
it back as they are the most numerous and Rifondazione has been, with
the Germans, the real drivers of the EL.. To my mind with the creation
of the new Sinistra Arcoballeno pushed forward by the new Italian
electoral system to amalgamate into coalitions, it maybe that Sinistra
Europea could become less important that it was for Rifondazione unitl
now, which was nothing else than create a kind of Izquierda Unida, like
in the past created several left-wing parties and individuals under the
leadership of the Spanish Communist Party. An additional element of
reflection is that this "Rainbow left" will include the Italian greens,
members of the European Green Party. So, things are complicated but the
question is the same: the red-green alliance seems part of the political
agenda in many places, including in Spain where IU has been severely
divided about this issue, to the point that the Parlamentary Group was
made with the Catalan Iniciativa per Catalunya-Verts who used to be the
Catalan section of IU until they took a Green turn ( now members of the
European Greens). IU created its own Catalan section, EUiA, which now is
associated with Iniciativa in the Catalan Government and has become
itself part of the EL, like the Spanish Communist Party and IU. Sorry
for being long, but this could explain some apparent absurdities of the
representation of Spanish politics in the EL (three parties when in
principle it should not be than just one as all the three are part of
IU..). 

The alternative for us is that we try to organise a working group of
individual members like the others existing for trade unionists and the
like. We are thinking about suggesting the creation of a wg on big
cities and the EL. Maybe here we could also meet some of us if the
proposal is going forward.

In any case an intranet or forum could be useful to have a more
coordinated and systematic interaction. This could be just a web page
where we can post messages and the like. I think that this can be
requested to the the Board to put some means to coordinate the EL
individual members. An example for Spain is the following place which
have a forum with intranet, but helas, we cannot have access...but at
least you can see the public part of it. 

http://www.nodo50.org/foroiu/viewforum.php?f=2
<http://www.nodo50.org/foroiu/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=183677f63362b6614da9
72dc05ddac7a> &sid=183677f63362b6614da972dc05ddac7a 

Best

S

-----Mensaje original-----
De: individual-members-el-bounces at listi.jpberlin.de
[mailto:individual-members-el-bounces at listi.jpberlin.de] En nombre de
Mike Nagler
Enviado el: jueves, 07 de febrero de 2008 22:55
Para: individual-members-el at listi.jpberlin.de
Asunto: Re: [Individual-members-EL] EL

Yes the "observer-status" of "sinistra europea" as a "national
organisation" is a step i dont find useful cause its now only like one
more national italian party. So the way the italians go is a step
backwards if we focus at an united european party. At the other hand the
italian "indiv. members" so have two seats at the board. So they can use
them to bring on the interests of the individuals - for example to
change the statute.

So Sigfrido, what is the strategy of the italians?

Best wishes,

Mike

----- Original Message ----- 

From: sigfrido ramirez <mailto:sigfrido.ramirez at coditel.net>  

To: 'Steve Spence' <mailto:stephen_spence at btinternet.com>  ;
individual-members-el at listi.jpberlin.de 

Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 9:50 PM

Subject: Re: [Individual-members-EL] EL

Dear All,

I was in the first meeting of the EL Secretariat in Brussels, also
around 2002.

For six years I have also worked to build a network of individual
members in Brussels. 

I understand all frustrations which all we share. But let me tell you
that the responsible for this is not the office (the administration) but
the Bureau. I agree with Stephen point about Helmut Scholtz. But he and
the Bureau has to be sensible about the fact that people like us can
start quitting the EL if this keeps in this way. This has already
happened in our circle with people of great militant quality. 

Maybe the expectation of the European Elections can start making things
moving quickly to present EL lists all over Europe. But this is the
problem of a party working with unanimity rules and not majority. These
are contradictions which takes time to be solved. 

Indeed, everybody could talk with everybody but not in the "absence of
structure", because there seems to be some structures already.

But let me be clear about one political fact. The only collective of
individual members with representation is Sinistra Europea in Italy,
which is about 90% or more of all individual members. They are already
accepted as observers and have their structures. Therefore, the decision
to be organised in national chapters is already taken. Steven has
already requested the same on behalf of the other individual members. We
are thinking about doing the same in Brussels.

 Therefore the structures, even if thin exist. Now the question at stake
is whether these chapters could become full members. So, in my view this
is the heart of the matter. And not the office's people in Brussels.

If you wish info about our activities you can check this web page.
http://users.coditel.net/eberlinguerprc/sinistraeuropea.html 

Of course, if you are coming to Brussels, let us know.

Best wishes,

S

I have to write also a kind a report, in English and maybe also in
French for the new web page we are preparing to launch from the Circle
in Brussels.

-----Mensaje original-----
De: individual-members-el-bounces at listi.jpberlin.de
[mailto:individual-members-el-bounces at listi.jpberlin.de] En nombre de
Steve Spence
Enviado el: jueves, 07 de febrero de 2008 20:38
Para: individual-members-el at listi.jpberlin.de
Asunto: [Individual-members-EL] EL

Dear All,

I went to the Founding Congress of EL in 2002.  

For six years I've slowly worked to build a network of individual
members.  I was born in Northern Ireland, lived many years of my life in
Australia, and for the last six years I have lived in England. I'm an
internationalist not just in theory but in practice

It has been very difficult to build individual membership in England.
It took two years to get a membership form.  We still cannot pay money
by bank transfer from pounds to euro.  The party organisationally has
been unable to fix this.  These are some of the frustrations Uli has.
The Brussels office have responsiblity for individual members and they
do their best, but that is not their only purpose and the party does not
put time and energy into building individual membership.

In Prague in Novemebr at the second congress some individual members got
to speak for the first time.  It was agreed with Helmut Scholz that the
EB would discuss individual membership representation on the EB in
January.  I have heard nothing.  Helmut Scholz is a good man.  He is
just busy with national party things.

Again these are some of Uli's frustrations.  The party has individual
members but in reality the national parties are the bodies with the
rights.  We have few.  

On the question of authority.  We are individual members.  We each have
our own authority.  Let a thousand flowers bloom I say.  I would like
some coleective structure, that's why I've worked to build an English
network, but the party does not consider the question seriously.  I've
asked for European Left England to be given observor status but I've
heard nothing.

In the absence of structure I think Uli is quite right to talk to Helmut
Scholz or anyone else about anything he wants.  We all are.

This discussion is the liveliest for a while.  normally this list is
dead for months.  Well done Uli , for stirring things up!  

Bestest

Stephen

ps i hope to write my english report this weekend, last was wiped out.

  _____  

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