Deadline 25.08.2020

Dear friends,

On 23 July, the vast majority of the Left Group (GUE/NGL) in the European Parliament approved, together with the social democratic (S&D), Green and rightist (EPP, Renew) parties, a resolution which criticizes the ‘European deal’ of 21 July on the Recovery Fund and the multi-annual European budget. There are indeed plenty of reasons to criticize the proposal of the European Council, but the resolution of the European Parliament also contains elements which are unacceptable from a progressive point of view.  

Indeed, in point 14 of the resolution, the Parliament “insists that targeted increases on top of the figures proposed by the European Council must single out programmes relating to  (…) the Integrated Border Management Fund, (…) the European Defence Fund (…)”. In the past, the left group  has always opposed European militarization; now claiming more money for the Defence Fund is a fundamental break. It is also unacceptable that more means are requested for Frontex, the EU’s increasingly militarized approach to migration and asylum policy, already condemned by several humanitarian organisations. Moreover, the resolution is silent on the neoliberal conditions which will be attached to the allocation of grants and loans from the Recovery Fund. 

Attached you find an ‘appeal’ (in English, French, German, Spanish and Dutch) which criticizes the support by the left and progressive forces for these positions, and asks the left group and its member parties, together with progressive forces in the social democratic, green and other fractions  to reconsider their position.

This is an initiative by Herman Michiel, editor of the left independent website Ander Europa (www.andereuropa.org) and Ludo De Brabander, spokesperson of the Flemish peace organisation ‘Vrede’ (www.vrede.be).

If you agree to sign the appeal, please inform one of us (, ) before 25 August; mentioning your country and whether you sign in the name of an organisation, or in your personal name (preferably with your function, affiliation  or background).You may circulate this appeal to other people who might be interested. 

If there is a reasonable response, the Appeal will be sent beginning of September to the individual MEPs from GUE/NGL and to the presidency of the left, social democratic and green groups, Publication in the broader media will  also be tried. We will inform all the signatories by the end of August of the result and the full list of names.

We thank you for your attention,

Ludo De Brabander
Herman Michiel

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Ludo De Brabander
woordvoerder/spokesperson Vrede vzw

Dok Noord 4F 203
9000 Gent - Belgium
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